Windmills
by Ankoholic
Summary: The Fourth Great Ninja War has ended with the world safe but not without consequence. Now Anko Mitarashi must enter into a personal war born from her past, one that will decide both her future and that of another.
1. Awakening From Happiness

**Disclaimer:** As you can probably imagine I do not own the Naruto series or any of its characters. That pleasure belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Oh sure, I've purchased some manga volumes, a few DVDs and at least one video game spawned from the franchise, but the series itself? Oh no, certainly not mine. You'd know if it were me in charge. There'd be tons more screen time for the likes of Haku, Zabuza and Anko. Oh, and every filler arc and movie would involve Guren.

* * *

><p>The sun was setting on the land that the Hidden Leaf Village called home, the shinobi metropolis more active than usual. It was not by mere chance, however, as the first Chunin Exam of the year was coming to an end.<p>

For the jonin known as Anko Mitarashi it was an atypical situation. She had been involved for so long as a proctor for the second stage of the exams that having to abstain from the process was an almost alien experience for her.

_I'd almost begun to consider the Forest of Death my second home... How messed up is that?_

Despite her missing the experience, the jonin knew that it in six months' time she would be back where she belonged, initiating chunin into the rank of genin, or at the very least cutting the potential graduates down by half. Either way was fine by her.

Though much as Anko missed being a proctor this time, she was finding even greater joy in the role of an outsider to the exam. For this time it was her proteges that had undergone the rigorous proceedings. Due to any concerns of favoritism, it had only been naturally that Anko step aside, Kakashi Hatake filling the void due to his standing with the Hidden Leaf Village.

Now, standing alongside her peers in the viewing booth high above the stadium, Anko looked down at her squad, Team Nine. First there was Gozu. Tall for his age and built for battle, he was easily the muscle of group. Then there was the youngest of the trio, Yukimura. A fragile soul to those unknowing, he possessed a spirit roused by his desire to protect those most precious to him. Then, at last, there was Guren. A gifted kunoichi, she possessed the kekkei genkai known as the Crystal Style. While none of the three were anything to scoff at, she was the stand out, a veritable genius progeny.

"Tean Nine," the Third Hokage, dressed in ceremonial garb, began to say, his voice booming across the arena. "You have all worked hard during this examination, displaying your talents and skills to the Hidden Leaf Village. You have made us all proud. To that end..."

Anko couldn't help but smile with admiration towards her students, knowing what the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was about to say. _You've all earned this...We.. we all have._

"Guren, you led your team through the Forest of Death with impeccable finesse, as well as displayed skill and ability beyond your years in the battles you fought in this arena. Yukimura, you succeeded with flying colors during the written exams and aided your comrades whenever possible, turning defeat into victory. Gozu, you to value your teammates without question, having proven over and over again your commitment to their survival. You have all done well. And that is why I wish to congratulate you, Team Nine, as you are all now officially promoted to the rank of genin."

Anko could hear the crowd's applause in response to the Third Hokage's words, her grin growing wider as she looked down at the children under her care. Yukimura and Gozu were clearly ecstatic, and even the sometimes stoic Guren was finding it hard to hide her satisfaction, her scarlet lips curling into a smile.

_Helping the new future of the ninja world..._ Anko looked up for a moment, catching sight of the sun that was setting over the rim of the stadium's open roof. Her eyes focused on the sight, the jonin feeling an immense burst of pride in how her life was going. _It's all I ever wanted. That I was able to do for my students what he did for me..._

"Anko."

The purple haired jonin felt her breath stop for just a moment, exhaling slowly in response to the familiar voice. "Lord Orochimaru..."

Anko Mitarashi turned slowly, coming face to face with her former teacher. He was as she remembered him, clad in the combat uniform of a jonin as she was, the headband of Konohagakure adorning his brow. His long black hair draped down, framing his pale face.

"My dear protege..." Orochimaru continued, his voice low and quite, his snake-like eyes boring into Anko's own. "Your team has done well thanks to your teachings. Quite impressive."

"Heh," Anko wanted to grin in response to the words being uttered by Orochimaru, but still she did her best to remain composed. "Well, I've only come this far thanks to having been trained by one of the legendary Sannin-"

"Nonsense," the serpent-like shinobi interrupted. "I may have given you the tools, but your hard work has brought you to this time, to this place. And for that... I am so very proud of you, An-"

* * *

><p>"-Ko! Anko!"<p>

Anko Mitarashi's mind jostled at the sound of her own name, her eyes slowly opening in the process. "Where... am I?"

Anko could remember her last memories, of having stood side by side with Orochimaru in respectful awe as her team of students graduated the Chunin Exams. Those reflections, however, were quickly fading, the truth of her life settling in Anko's mind once more.

Orochimaru was no loving teacher, but a monster who had used and betrayed Anko so long ago. The Third Hokage was long dead, having sacrificed his life to save his beloved village from the twisted Sannin's threat. There was no Team Nine, Anko simply a special jonin without students to pass on her legacy as a shinobi to.

"I'm... alone..."

"Lady Anko?"

Mitarashi Anko could hear the unfamiliar voice once more. With utter sadness infecting her eyes, she opened them fully and took in the sight of whom the voice belonged to. It was a shinobi of the Allied Shinobi Forces, but it was the colors of his combat uniform that revealed his affiliation to the Hidden Leaf Village.

"Where... am I?"

Anko quickly remembered. The five hidden villages of the ninja world had joined forces to combat the forces of both Madara Uchiha and Kabuto Yakushi in the Fourth Shinobi World War. Madara had declared his intent to take control of a beast known as the Ten Tails and use its power to initiate a genjutsu that would leave the world forever mired in the peaceful bliss of illusions. Anko had led the a coalition of the stealth force into the duo's lair, only to be defeated by Kabuto's newfound powers, ones he had based around Orochimaru himself.

"The enemy forces' lair," the Hidden Leaf ninja answered.

Anko could see it clearly, the familiar cavern walls all around her. However, what really took hold of her attention were the large plants around her. She glanced around quickly, noticing that her body was half covered in a green pod.

"What... what's going on?!" Anko's eyes went wide at the sight, unable to determine what happened.

"The Infinite Tsukuyomi," the ninja said, helping Anko to her feet as he did so. "Madara, the real Madara, completed his goal of becoming the Jinchuuriki of the Ten-Tails and casting his ultimate genjutsu on the world."

"The... real Madara?" Anko asked weakly, confused by the shinobi's words.

"It's a long story," he replied. "Seriously."

_That was a genjutsu? That... was my ultimate desire?_ Anko had never been one to let her personal feelings dictate her life, her future. She had always been so focused on moving beyond a past that had haunted her that Anko had never had the time to think of her future. Still it was clear that her heart knew what her mind could not. "The genjutsu is over, so... Madara and Kabuto were defeated?"

"That's the word spreading across the allied forces," the shinobi said. "Word is that our village's very own Team Seven defeated our foe, ending the Infinite Tsukuyomi once and for all."

"Team... Seven?" Anko forced herself to wear a weak smile, the right corner of her lips curling back into a grin. "So... hyperactive little Naruto Uzumaki saved the world, huh? Always knew that goof had potential..."

Relief washed over Anko Mitarashi, the world's salvation having been verified as it was. Relief and surprise. She had always expected great things to come from the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox ever since seeing his actions during the Chunin Exams, even if her tough love form of teaching never allowed her to show it, but the special jonin had never imagined he would be a hero to the world itself.

_This new generation is full of surprises..._

Then, however, Anko's thoughts turned their attention back to the world she had created for herself in the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

_I... want a team of prodigy all my own?_ Being a full-fledged jonin over simply holding the rank of a special jonin was not all that surprising to Anko, but to wish for her own team of shinobi to nurture and protect, that was something that had clearly been hidden in the depths of her heart.

Even more concerning were the identities of her illusionary students. Anko had long spent time pouring over any records of Hidden Leaf missions that pertained to Orochimaru. That had led her to researching Kakashi Hatake's compilation of data about the operation to capture the wild Three-Tails. Not only had the terrorist organization known the world over as the Akatsuki been involved in the debacle, but also agents of Orochimaru. The only survivors from that group had been recorded as Guren, Yukimura and Gozu.

The ages didn't match what she had dreamt, but Anko was left to contemplate what meaning there was behind her prodigies being agents of Orochimaru, specifically ones who had abandoned the diabolical shinobi's side just as she had.

That, in turn, left Anko's mind reeling over the most disturbing moment of her heart's desire.

"Orochimaru..."

"That creepy Sannin?" It was now the Hidden Leaf shinobi's time to be confused. "Yeah, he was involved in the war's final phases. But if the reports of you being captured at the conflict's start are true, then how did you-"

"What?" Anko's eyes suddenly flared to life, her cracking voice cutting off the ninja's words. "He what?"

"Wait, you didn't know? Then what-"

"Just spill it!" Anko shouted as she grabbed the shinobi by the collar of his combat jacket. "What do you mean Orochimaru was involved in the war! He died! You hear me?"

"Calm down, please," the shinobi stammered, his composure completely shattered by Anko's sudden outburst. "He-"

"I'm... sorry."

Anko forced herself to take the man's advice, trying to reign in her surge of anger. She let go of his uniform and clutched instead at her head. She had heard it before, reports indicating that Orochimaru's latest prodigy, Sasuke Uchiha, had slain him. Anko had been set at ease at the monster's death, though left with a longing for true closure. Closure that could only have been brought about by her own hands. Still, it had been a step towards moving forward. Now however, knowing Orochimaru was walking among the living once more, Anko's mind was being overwhelmed with a fog of despair.

"I'm so sorry, I just... How can he be alive?"

"Perhaps the enemy forces revived him with the Kabuto's reanimation technique," the shinobi offered as a possibility. "Ironic, if true. But the reports haven't been clear in regards to his role in the war yet."

"it just... just... Wait..."

Her eyes wavering with confusion, it was then that something came to Anko's attention. Or, for better wording, the lack of something. Long ago Orochimaru had inflicted upon the special jonin the Heaven's Curse Mark, a seal that could increase a person's power, though the receiver only had a one in ten chance of surviving its application.

In the end Anko had survived, but never would she allow herself to use such a dark power no matter the price. The curse, located by her neck, led to terrible pain, something that only first the Third Hokage and then Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage and another member of the Sannin, could suppress.

Still a slight twinge of pain always radiated from the Curse Mark. Until now. The absence of the irritation left Anko even more confused. She quickly fumbled for her long coat, pulling it away from her body. "There! Do you see it?"

"Uhhhh..." the male ninja didn't know what Anko was referring to, his gaze instinctively focusing on the kunoichi's mesh clothing, the garment adhering tightly to her upper body. "That is...Well..."

"Not those!" Anko rasped, a red tint crossing her face. "Do you see a marking around my neck?"

"Oh." The ninja said matter-of-factly. "Well, no. Should I?"

"It's gone?" Anko's facial expression became puzzled, more so than before. "What the hell is going on?"

Orochimaru was back, the mark he had cursed Anko with having vanished. Deep in her heart, deep in her mind, the special jonin knew it couldn't be a simple coincidence. An inkling came over Anko, one that left her with an overwhelming sense of dread.

_Did Kabuto... Am I... Am I responsible for Orochimaru's resurrection? Please... It... can't be..._


	2. In the Presence of Heroes

**Disclaimer:** As you can probably imagine I do not own the Naruto series or any of its characters. That pleasure belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Oh sure, I've purchased some manga volumes, a few DVDs and at least one video game spawned from the franchise, but the series itself? Oh no, certainly not mine. You'd know if it were me in charge. There'd be tons more screen time for the likes of Haku, Zabuza and Anko. Oh, and every filler arc and movie would involve Guren.

* * *

><p>It had been a nearly a month since the official end to the Fourth Great Ninja War. The days since had been a time of moving forward, honoring those who had fallen during the conflict. More importantly, however, it was also a time of change, particularly for the Hidden Leaf Village.<p>

Now, standing in the Hokage's office, Anko Mitarashi was facing one such change.

"Lady Anko," the Sixth Hokage said as he watched from his chair, his elbows resting on his desk as his fingers crossed underneath his masked chin, "thank you for coming on such short notice."

Anko wasn't sure what to make of it. For the longest time, since her days as a genin, she had grown accustomed to the comforting presence of the Third Hokage. Perhaps it was because he was the one who had found Anko after her parting of ways with the treacherous Orochimaru. At first Anko had been distrustful of even him, her experiences with her teacher having harmed her ability to trust anyone. She had even wondered it if was simply guilt over Orochimaru's actions that drove him, nothing more, as the Sannin had been one of the Hokage's ownstudents years earlier. Slowly but surely, however, Hiruzen Sarutobi had helped Anko to move past her misgivings for anyone and everyone. She had begun to both trust and respect the Third Hokage.

Then he had died, his life forfeit against Orochimaru himself. In the end Anko had to grow accustomed to a new Hokage, Lady Tsunade of the Sannin. At first it had been a rocky start, the special jonin unable to process anyone besides Hiruzen Sarutobi leading and protecting the village. Eventually, however, she felt the same respect for the Sannin, the legendary kunoichi proving herself exponentially.

Now Anko Mitarashi found herself having to experience the tides of change once more. Tsunade had survived both the war and even direct combat with Madara Uchiha as well, but she had felt the time had come to move on and leave the Hidden Leaf Village in good hands. The Sannin continued to aide those in need with her medical ninjutsu, especially those wounded in the war, but she had stepped down from her role as the Hokage.

In her place now was the son of the White Fang, the copycat ninja known as Kakashi Hatake. It was no surprise to Anko that he had been granted the title, in no small part due to his reputation as well as his influential actions at the war's end. Still, she had finally grown accustomed to the presence of the Fifth Hokage, but now Anko had to accept a sixth.

"It is... an honor," the special jonin said, bowing at the waist slightly. "What can I do for you, Lord Hokage?"

"Please," Kakashi said, waving his right hand in objection to Anko's actions, "don't be so formal."

Anko couldn't help but object, her brown eyes widening as she spoke in protest. "But that would be-"

"Please."

"All... all right." Anko really could not comprehend how to handle associating with a Hokage that was not above her, but a part of her generation of shinobi. It was a unique situation from her perspective, but one she knew she would have to comprehend quickly. "So... why did you wish to see me?"

"To talk," the Sixth Hokage answered, his voice growing serious. "There is something I need to tell you about the war."

Anko's heart sank at those words, knowing full well what Kakashi was referring to. It had been a concern of hers since the moment she had awoken from the Infinite Tsukuyomi. The purple haired kunoichi had tried her best to ignore the obvious, to look away from the past as she had forced herself to do nearly all her life, but now she could tell the truth was going to come out one way or the other.

"Orochimaru."

"Yes," Kakashi replied, his shoulders sinking as he did so. "The previous Hokage confirmed to me that Orochimaru was present on the battlefield for the last stages of the war."

"But how?" Anko knew she could never doubt Orochimaru's tenacity, his ability to cheat death, but to die and then return to the world of the living. "He was... supposed to be dead. Killed by Sasuke Uchiha."

"It's more complicated than that," Kakashi sighed. "The earlier reports of his death were not entirely true. One of my... sources informed me that while Sasuke did in fact betray and kill Orochimaru, his consciousness lived on in the Curse Mark that adorned Sasuke. The same seal as yours."

"Had," Anko corrected. "It's gone now."

The special jonin detected traces of sadness in her words, something that completely caught her off guard. She had always hated the Curse Mark, despising the pain it had put her through. Worse still,i t had marked her just another victim of Orochimaru. Now that it was gone, however, it was like a piece of her was lost forever.

_What the hell is wrong with me? Good riddance to that damned seal!_

"So I've been informed," Kakashi continued. "It was removed from you during the war."

"Who told you that?" Anko asked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion. Her voice began to raise, her temper flaring. "This source you talk about is awfully familiar with my predicament, isn't he? So what did Kabuto tell you? What the hell did he do to me?"

Anko had heard the rumors, that after the war had ended Kabuto Yakushi had willingly turned himself over to the Allied Shinobi Forces, seeking penance for his actions.

"Please calm down," the Sixth Hokage said sternly, though traces of compassion still danced across his voice. "It was not Kabuto who told me of such things. It was Sasuke himself."

"What?"

"As you've no doubt heard, the young man proved instrumental in ending the war..." Kakashi's voice trailed off, as if he was hiding something in regards to the Uchiha descendant. "That was why his past crimes were pardoned, so long as he lives on the straight and narrow path."

"Really?" Anko stared skeptically at the masked Hokage, knowing there was more to Sasuke's role in the war then he let on. The special jonin wanted to press for details, but there was more concerning matters to deal with. "So what did he tell you?"

"Sasuke said that during a battle with his brother, Orochimaru revealed himself still alive. He reconstituted himself from Sasuke's Curse Mark. However, Itachi Uchiha then sealed Orochimaru away with a jutsu unique to him. From Sasuke's explanation it appeared that Orochimaru was trapped in a genjutsu of eternal paradise."

"That would be too good for him." Anko bit her lower lip in anger, trying to come to terms with the man who had betrayed her living in eternal bliss.

"I would have to agree," Kakashi continued. "But please, don't concern yourself over it."

"Long story, huh?"

"Yes. During the war, Sasuke, along with some aide from an unlikely source, defeated Kabuto and ended the Reanimation jutsu," Kakashi continued. "Thus, in turn, stopping Kabuto from using your Curse Mark to empower his resurrected army."

"Huh." Anko didn't know what else to say. She had never imagined her life would have been saved by a traitor to the Hidden Leaf. "Guess I ought to thank the little punk."

"There's more," Kakashi interrupted. "Using the trace amounts of Orochimaru's chakra in your Curse Mark, as well as a sample of Kabuto's mutated flesh-"

"Oh, eww..." Anko's face contorted at Kakashi's words. She was never a squeamish individual, but the macabre practice the Hokage was describing was too much even for her.

"- Sasuke used a jutsu of some particular sort to combine the two and freed Orochimaru from his imprisonment, fashioning a new body from Kabuto's skin sample. Your Curse Mark was destroyed in the process."

"So..." Anko's eyes narrowed. "You're telling me that not only did I not contribute any value to the Allied Shinobi Forces during the war, that not only did Kabuto use me involuntarily to power up the soldiers that were slaughtering our compatriots..."

Anko's breath was becoming ragged and labored, her anger finally boiling to the surface. The Sixth Hokage could not only see and hear the signs, sensing the hatred that was threatening to consume her. For now he knew she needed to vent, thus he allowed it go on.

"You're telling me that I played a part in the resurrection of that... that bastard?" Anko's voice cracked as she screamed, her eyes wide with anger, a single tear escaping one of them. "Is that what you're trying to tell me?"

Kakashi suddenly stood up and walked over towards Anko. The Hokage placed his right hand on one of her shoulders. "It's going to be all right."

The contact, the words, they left Anko Mitarashi stunned and silent. It was just as the Third Hokage had done when he had found Anko alone after Orochimaru's betrayal of her. The special jonin looked up at Kakashi and for just a moment she saw a flash of Hiruzen Sarutobi standing before her, dressed in his Hokage garb.

Despite the nostalgic reassurance, however, Anko was still left in despair. She recalled her last encounter with Orochimaru in the Forest of Death. She had been so determined to end his life that she had been willing to sacrifice her own in the process. Now to find out that she had played a part in the man's continued presence in the world was enough to throw her life into disarray.

"I..." she stammered. "I..." Slowly but surely Anko's voice hardened, a newfound determination overriding everything else. "I have to kill him. I will kill him!"

"Anko..." Kakashi's face lowered for a moment. He stepped back to his desk and returned to sitting in his chair. "I ask that you reconsider your desires. Despite your past experiences you've always moved on with your life, not seeking vengeance."

"This is different!" Anko right hand balled into a fist, her grip so tight that blood began to seep out from the cuts that formed. She grit her teeth in response to the minor pain. Her face then came alive with rage. "He was gone! The world was free from his influence, from any future transgressions! And I was used to bring him back!"

Consumed with anger, Anko raised her bloody fist up.

"It's my responsibility to put him back where he belongs! And I will make him pay for what he has done or die trying!"

Kakashi exhaled, his breath held no more. "As the former leader of TeamSeven I've seen how revenge and hatred can blacken a heart... For your own sake..."

"Yes, Sasuke Uchiha..." Anko rasped. "And from what you've told me he looked into that abyss and came back."

"With great consequence," Kakashi said. "He brought suffering upon himself and those who cared for him."

"And why cares about me?" Anko said, her gaze suddenly lowering to the floor, her clenched fist falling by her side, the blood dripping away. "My blood relations have all passed on, I have no team of comrades to call family... The only ones who will suffer are myself and that damned Orochimaru."

Kakashi sighed, then reached towards the intercom on his desk. He pressed a button on it and then spoke. "Shizune, please send up the members of Team Seven that are on the premises."

"Yes sir," a voice spoke from the box. "I'll send up Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno at once."

"The... hell?" Anko's face suddenly shifted from anger to confusion. "What do they have to do with this?"

"This village is your family," Kakashi said. "The bonds between us all are stronger then you give them credit for. And those two signify that principle better than anyone. Besides... Sakura is a medical expert and I'd say your hand needs healing."

Anko's face grew sullen. She unclenched her fist and looked down at the blood that had pooled in the palm of her hand. _The price I pay for my anger... The Hokage is right..._

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei! What' u- ow!"

"Be more polite! He's the Hokage now! Honestly..."

Anko Mitarashi turned around and caught sight of the members of Team Seven standing in the doorway. Naruto was currently holding the top of his head with both hands. The pink haired Sakura was beside him, her left hand a tightened fist that clearly had been used.

_Good to see the war didn't change them any..._

"Oh, Lady Anko," Sakura suddenly said, her angry expression fading. "Good to see you."

"Her?" Naruto said, his face suddenly carrying an expression of fear. "What are you doing here?"

The mood was quickly lightened and Anko couldn't help but giggle. _He ended the war and yet he still freaks out when he sees me. Guess I really did do a number on him back during the Chunin Exams..._

It was then that Anko noticed the bandages that covered Naruto's right hand. She could only imagine it was a war wound, but seeing it on the energetic shinobi left her feeling cold. He deserved better than to suffer as the world made so many others.

"What... happened to you?"

Naruto clearly could see that Anko's gaze had focused on his arm. He tried to laugh it off, scratching the back of his head with that very hand. "Oh, it's nothing. Just a flesh wound."

"Naruto," Kakashi suddenly spoke up, "tell her the truth."

Naruto's nervous smile faded fast and he looked directly at Anko with stern eyes. "It was the price I paid for defeating Sasuke and saving the world."

"What?" Anko was taken back. "I thought the Uchiha kid helped you end the war."

"He did, but..." Sakura's eyes looked away, the kunoichi unable to finish the sentence.

"Revenge is not a simple matter," Kakashi said, suddenly standing behind Anko, his hand on her shoulder once more. "These two suffered physically and mentally because of Sasuke's hateful actions. Things have been resolved as best they possible could, but the years leading up to it..."

Even the Hokage was unable to find the words.

"Sakura," he finally said, changing the subject, "if you would, please heal Lady Anko's hand."

"Right." Sakura reached out with her black gloved hands, taking hold of Anko's damaged one. A green light, the product of the medical expert's chakra, lit the room up. "There. All set. Does it still hurt, Lady Anko?"

"No, I..." Anko looked down at her healed hand, the blood no more. "Thank you."

Anko closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"All right, so you all forgave Sasuke," she said. "I get that. But you don't know Orochimaru like I do. He's beyond redemption."

"Maybe," Kakashi said, returning to his desk. "He's always been a hard one to read or understand. I will take your word for it, however. His actions are monstrous. There's no denying that. But..."

"But?" Anko wanted to know just where the Hokage was going with this.

"Tell me, what happens if you spill ink on paper?"

"The paper absorbs the ink," Anko replied matter-of-factly. "What of it?"

"Uh, Kaka- Lord Hokage?" Naruto stammered, ready to avoid another punch from Sakura. "Why are we talking about paper? I thought this was about Orochimaru?"

"Naruto..." Sakura couldn't help but bring her right hand up, dropping her face into her palm. "It's a metaphor..."

"Huh?"

"Even the purest substance can be corrupted," Kakashi continued, ignoring Team Seven's background conversation.

"Are you saying Orochimaru was pure once?"

"I do not know," Kakashi answered. "Only his fellow Sannin, Hiruzen Sarutobi or yourself could honestly answer that. But... I had a friend once. He was as kind hearted as they came. But, in the end, the world broke his spirit and he did many unforgivable things."

"And?"

"In the end... I forgave him nonetheless."

"Fine," Anko nearly hissed. "So let's say I forgive Orochimaru. So what? That doesn't forgive his crimes. Kabuto clearly wishes for penance, but I don't see the world leaving him to go free. He's imprisoned."

"So you've heard about that," Kakashi said. "Yes, Kabuto turned himself in and is currently calling the newly rebuilt Blood Prison his home. As for my friend... he did not live to see justice's retribution. He died to make amends as best he could. Look, I'm not saying Orochimaru would do either. No doubt his helping us win the war was an act of self-preservation."

"Like I said," Anko continued, hers a steely gaze, "he still needs to face justice for his crimes against so many."

"I agree, but..." Kakashi spoke truthfully, as he always had, "no one knows where he is now."

"The coward fled the battlegrounds after the Infinite Tsukuyomi was dispelled, did he?"

"Yes." Kakashi looked at Anko, trying to read her emotions now. Unfortunately for him ,he found them masked. Undeterred, he continued to speak. "Our forces are looking everywhere for a sign of him."

"But Kakashi, he can't be that much of a threat," Naruto suddenly spoke up. "Both Sasuke and I could defeat him easily now."

"Naruto," Kakashi said, his tone showing signs of anger. "You have grown strong, but do not let your overconfidence overshadow your skill and strength. Yes, we as Team Seven ended the war by conquering a foe that vastly overshadows Orochimaru, but he is no fool. His goal was always to master ever jutsu, to conquer both life and death. Do you think he will not grow stronger himself the longer he is in hiding?"

"Well, uh, true." Naruto grinned sheepishly, slowly backing away from Sakura just in case.

"So what do you want me to do, track Orochimaru down?" Anko asked earnestly. She had grown used to such missions, having spent plenty of time hunting down Kabuto. Though she knew how that had ended.

"No," Kakashi answered, as if he knew what she was thinking as well. "For now I want you to rest and recuperate."

"All right," Anko replied, not missing a beat. "Well then... if I may be excused?"

"Yes, that is all," the Sixth Hokage said. "And Anko... please be careful."

Anko bowed slightly once more, then walked between both Naruto and Sakura, leaving the Hokage's office behind. As she stepped out into the hall the special jonin dwelled on Kakashi's words. She knew hehad asked her to rest but his last words were an obvious giveaway of his true feelings on the matter. The Sixth Hokage had to have known she couldn't take all of his advice to heart.

_It will be a matter of justice, not vengeance, but he knows that I can't just sit back and do nothing while Orochimaru roams the land. Not with it being partly my fault..._


	3. Spilling the Blood of Hozuki

**Disclaimer:** As you can probably imagine I do not own the Naruto series or any of its characters. That pleasure belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Oh sure, I've purchased some manga volumes, a few DVDs and at least one video game spawned from the franchise, but the series itself? Oh no, certainly not mine. You'd know if it were me in charge. There'd be tons more screen time for the likes of Haku, Zabuza and Anko. Oh, and every filler arc and movie would involve Guren.

* * *

><p>"You three should be very proud."<p>

Anko Mitarashi listened intently as Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke. After all it was not every day that the Hokage of the village graced one of the classrooms of the academy with his presence, let alone asked three students to stay behind after the rest of the class and the teacher herself left the room.

The purple haired genin glanced around at the other two students who were sitting beside her. She knew them by name, Hogo Shahei and Juyodenai Hito, but they had little else in common besides their shared class and desire to be shinobi.

"How so, Lord Hokage?" Anko asked, curious as to what the older man was referring to.

The Third Hokage brought a closed hand up to his face and cleared his throat before continuing. "Out of your class you three have proven yourself the most adept at the futures you all wish for. Thus it is now time that you are taken under the tutelage of a jonin and become a squad of your own."

"What?" Anko couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was overjoyed but still left in a state of shock. "Then I'm... We're..."

The Hokage offered a comforting smile, his eyes closing for that brief moment as he did so. "Congratulations, young ones."

Anko glanced around once more, taking in the equally shocked expressions that both Hogo and Juyodenai were wearing. She knew instantly that they were thinking the same thing as she was.

"Lord Hokage, sir," Anko said, her voice trembling a bit, knowing she was about to question a superior. "It's not that... I mean... I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to tell us this yourself, but..."

"You wonder why a Hokage would directly inform genin of their success?" Hiruzen asked politely as he walked forward. He gently placed a hand on Anko's shoulder, the same comforting expression adorning his face. "All those who call the Hidden Leaf Village their home are my family. You who exemplify the future are my children in a sense. Is it wrong for a man to be proud of his children s' success?"

"No, not at all, Lord Hokage!" Hogo replied.

"Yeah!" Juyodenai was quick to join in. "We appreciate your coming here yourself!"

Anko didn't disagree with her classmates, but still she had one doubt. "But, Lord Hokage, I've never heard of you personally addressing genin about their being assigned as a squad before."

Then it hit Anko.

"Except I did hear the rumors that you were the one to tell a trio of genin that they were to be led by Jiraiya himself."

"Ah, quite perceptive of you. It is true. One of the remaining two Sannin has personally chosen you three to be under their tutelage." The Third Hokage spoke with pride at the young genin's awareness. He folded his arms behind his back once more and began to head towards the classroom's door. "The leader of Team Ten will be here soon."

Hiruzen opened the door and moved through it, stopping to look back once more.

"Again, I am so very proud of you all."

Then the Third Hokage was gone, the door shutting behind him. Left in the wake of his revelation were three overjoyed students, the lot of them unable to control their reactions.

"Can you believe this?" Hogo shouted. "We're gonna be trained by one of the Sannin themselves!"

"Oh, I hope it's Lady Tsunade!" Juyodenai exclaimed, his face lighting up. "She's such a hottie!"

"I wouldn't mind learning from her medical expertise, but..." Anko brought a hand up to her chin, thinking it over. "That Orochimaru fellow is a beast in battle, or so I've heard."

"Of course Blood Lust Mitarashi would want to be taught by a bad ass like him," Juyodenai laughed.

"Oh, I bet she's just got a crush on him," Hogo taunted. "Chicks dig the tall, dark and mysterious types..."

"Excuse me?" Anko whirled her gaze around, tossing death glares at both her newfound teammates.

"Oh, she's mad."

"Anko and Orochimaru, leaping through the trees..."

"Shut up!" Anko sat up furiously, screaming at the top of her longs. She breathed heavy as she took control of her temper. Shaking her head the young genin sat back down and cleared her throat. "I'm sorry for the outburst..."

"No... no problem." Hogo gingerly slid across the classroom's seating, putting some distance between himself and the easily agitated Anko.

Juyodenai was not so easily dissuaded. "So tell me, you have a thing for older serpents, or- oww!"

Anko fist smashed across the top of her teammate's skull, leaving the young ninja holding his head in pain.

"Dumb ass," Anko growled as she shook her head.

"This is going to be a helluva team..." Hogo sighed as he crossed his arms on the desk before him, dropping his head down. "Man..."

For that point on the three genin waited patiently for their team leader to arrive. The seconds turned to minutes, the minutes eventually approaching an hour.

"Serious, what the hell?" Anko sat up and stormed away from the desk and her teammates. "Did we get stood up by a Sannin or was old man Hiruzen just pulling our legs?"

Anko knew the latter option was simply an impossibility. There was no way the Third Hokage was cruel enough to pull such a prank on his precious shinobi in training.

"Anko, calm down," Juyodenai said, panicking at the kunoichi's irritation. "Maybe the Sannin is just testing our patience on purpose. Our first challenge as a team."

"Yeah right!" Anko moved over to the classroom's blackboard and snatched up a large eraser. The genin then grabbed hold of a stool with her other hand and began to walk over to the door way.

"What are you doing, Anko?" Hogo stammered, now as uneasy as Juyodenai was.

"I'm gonna teach this Sannin, Orochimaru or Tsunade, a lesson for keeping us waiting." Anko placed the stepstool by the doorway, then opened the door slightly ajar. The kunoichi ascended the stepstool, the eraser still in her hand.

"Oh, this isn't going to be good..." Juyodenai's eyes went wide with fear. He had heard stories of Tsunade's bad temper. Then there was Orochimaru, a man who was known around the village as someone quite unpredictable.

"Anko, get down, please!" Hogo pleaded, shaking his head in a panic.

"Nuh-uh!" The kunoichi shot back as she began to raise her hand, planning on placing the eraser precariously on the top of the door. "When that Sannin comes in, this'll drop right on their head! It'll be a-"

The door suddenly opened before Anko could finish her plan. The kunoichi's heart skipped a beat in panic and her gaze moved downwards until she could clearly see the individual who was entering the room.

It was Orochimaru, his pale skin and ebony black hair a dead giveaway. The jonin's serpent-like eyes glanced in her direction, catching sight of the eraser that Anko was now holding above his head.

"Uh... hi," Anko said sheepishly, her mouth curling back into a nervous smile. "It's nice to meet you, Lord Orochimaru."

"It appears you have me at a disadvantage, my dear Anko Mitarashi," the Sannin said, his gaze remaining fixated on the eraser held above his head. "You have me at your mercy. I advise you to do what you must, as any shinobi should."

"Uh, it's just an eraser," Anko replied, completely thrown off by Orochimaru's demeanor. _The rumors were true. You really can't get a bead on what he's thinking. Creepy, but so cool._

"And yet, in another situation it could be a kunai dagger at the throat of an enemy that will kill you or perhaps someone you cherish," Orochimaru continued. "A true shinobi must possess the strength of character to do what must be done. Now drop it."

"O-okay..." Anko did as her new instructor demanded and she let go of the eraser. The object bounced off the top of the Sannin's skull, leaving chalk dust to fill the air around him.

"Congratulations, my dear," the Sannin said, a borderline sadistic smile crossing his face. "You just slayed Orochimaru himself. So tell me, how does it feel?"

Anko didn't know what to say, completely thrown off guard by the man's actions. She brought one hand back behind her head, ruffling her purple hair. "Well, uh... awesome I guess?"

Orochimaru suddenly allowed a low chuckle to escape from his mouth, one that soon turned into full blown laughter. Anko quickly joined him in his delight, laughing nervously beside him.

Hogo and Juyodenai, meanwhile, simply watched on in horror and whispered among themselves.

"They're both freaking crazy."

"We are so very screwed."

In stark contrast to the boy's reactions Anko was beginning to feel at ease. _Sure, my squad leader's a nut... but then again my classmates say the same thing about me. We're gonna be the best team ever!_

* * *

><p>Special jonin Mitarashi Anko slowly awoke, her mind beginning to right itself. She was not in a classroom of the Hidden Leaf Village's academy but in a horse drawn carriage making its way through the land of the Hidden Grass Village.<p>

"Just a dream."

Anko shook her head and pushed open one of the side windows of the carriage. She took a breath of fresh air, closing her eyes, and tried to clear her head.

_I thought I was over these nightmares._ It had been almost three years since Anko had last experienced such a dream, all thanks to a mission she had led to the Land of the Sea. That mission had left her inside the very base where Orochimaru had experimented on her with the Curse Mark. Confronting those dark memories, facing her fears, had allowed the special jonin to move forward in her life better than before. Since then she had slept easier.

Now, however, she had been unable to escape the visions of her past when she drifted off. Ever since she had awoken from the blissful illusion that had been the Infinite Tsukuyomi to find that Orochimaru was alive and well, Anko had been cursed with restless sleep once more.

"Orochimaru..." Anko couldn't help but hiss the name as she turned her gaze back into the carriage. She opened a panel on the front wall, revealing the mirror underneath. The special jonin looked into it, catching her reflection. "Just look at me now..."

Anko could see her haggard face clearly, her tired eyes betraying her despair. Trying to cheer herself up the kunoichi forced a fake smile, attempting to remember the grin that had horrified many a potential chunin.

What Anko saw in that lying reflection was something that sent her blood running cold. Her eyes began to play tricks on ther, the reflection fading into the sight of a smiling Orochimaru.

"Damn you!" Anko pulled a kunai dagger from her long coat and held it in a reverse grip. She swung the weapon towards the mirror, stopping only at the last second. She took a deep breath, pocketed the kunai and closed off the small mirror. "What the hell is wrong with me?"

"You okay back there?"

Anko heard the voice and stuck her head out the window. She caught sight of the driver, guiding his twin horses despite his looking back. His face betrayed his evident concern for his passenger. In response Anko faked another smile.

"All good, just saw a spider!"

"Oh, so you have arachnophobia?"

Anko raised an eyebrow, despite the accusation being wrong. "You making fun of me?"

"No, no," the driver answered,looking away thanks to Anko's expression unnerving him. "We all have our fears. Me, I've got a case of ophidiophobia."

"What now?"

"Fear of snakes. Just seeing one of those things ruins my day."

"You and me both," Anko whispered, her expression becoming sullen once more.

"Well, don't worry your pretty little head about seeing any more spiders in the carriage," the driver suddenly said. "Looks like we're just about at your destination."

"Oh?" Anko looked past the driver and into the distance. He was quickly proven right, the sight of a forbidding castle sitting atop a cliff coming into sight. "Yeah, that's the place."

"Lady, I've heard nothing but scary things about this place," the driver said, his voice trembling. "Hell, rumor has it that it had to be rebuilt after some freaky monster rampaged through the property. You really want to go there?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," Anko answered. "There's someone in there I need to speak with."

"All right, but don't say I didn't warn you. They didn't nickname that place the Blood Prison for show you know..."

The carriage came to a stop outside the prison, more aptly named Hozuki Castle, and Anko exited the vehicle. She handed the driver the second half of her fair, the first having been paid in advance.

"You'll return at sunset for my return back to the Hidden Leaf Village, correct?"

"You have my word, provided the scum in there don't eat you alive, little lady."

"It's not me you have to worry about," Anko replied, shooting the man a savage grin. "I can take care of myself."

"See you later then!"

The man commanded his horses to turn and left back down the path, leaving Anko Mitarashi alone outside of the prison. She turned to face it and moved in closer, knocking on the door.

A voice called out from the other side of the door. "And who might you be?"

"I'm Anko Mitarashi, special jonin from the Hidden Leaf Village."

"Ah yes, the symbol on your forehead protector."

Anko raised an eyebrow at the response, her eyes glancing around for the sight of any shinobi hidden nearby. She saw nothing, which just left her more surprised. "If I may be so bold, how are you seeing that?"

"It's just a jutsu the gatekeepers of Hozuki Castle have perfected; it's called Metal Piercing Eyes."

"That's an awfully specific jutsu," Anko replied with a sly smirk, placing a hand on her hip.

"I have an awfully specific task," the guard said. "To keep those out who have no place or authorization here."

_That could be a problem._ Anko mentally chided herself for coming here so suddenly without notifying anyone back in the Hidden Leaf Village. _I guess I did act rashly, but I thought it'd be a whole lot easier to get in here. Oh well. Guess I'll just bid my farewells, slip off... then break in the hard way._

The special jonin resigned herself to the arduous task at hand and prepared herself to say her goodbyes when the guard took her by surprise. "Thankfully the Sixth Hokage did send us your request to speak with one of our prisoners.

"Oh yes, that's right." Anko masked her surprise completely, unwilling to let her emotions betray her. _That Kakashi... He really did know I couldn't let this matter with Orochimaru be still, whether I'm driven by justice or revenge. But how did he know I was coming here?_

Anko had to wonder if a ninja, maybe even a member of the Anbu, had been tailing her during her departure from the village. The special jonin let the concern slip away, uncaring of how much the Hokage was involved in her personal mission.

_It just means he cares._

"Allow me to permit you entry," the unseen guard continued, the sound of his hands clasping together following his words. "Metal Style: Barrier Wall Release!"

Before Anko's eyes the metal wall before her shifted and changed, an open circle forming. She could now see the black clad gatekeeper, several other guards beside him.

"Nice security system you've got here," Anko said as she stepped the opening. She continued to move forward, stopping only when she heard the sound of ripping clothing. She turned suddenly catching sight of the edge of her long coat falling away from the now sealed metal wall. What really got her attention, however, was the ragged piece of tan fabric that was hanging from the wall itself. "Oh, come on!"

The special jonin pulled the bottom of her coat around, examining the torn portion. She quickly turned her attention towards the gatekeeper, her eyes narrowing as she did so. The man and the two guards beside him stepped back a foot or two, a sweat drop forming on each of their faces.

"Like I said," Anko growled, "nice security system, but I think you need to work on the timing of when you close the wall back up."

"I'll take your criticism to heart," the gatekeeper stammered. He then turned to one of his fellow guards and whispered in a panic. "Better than taking one of her kunai to my heart."

"What now?" Anko asked, tilting her head slightly as she looked at the gatekeeper.

The man's eyes went wide with fear, leaving him unable to speak.

"That's enough."

Anko turned to her side and caught sight of a tall man dressed in black and red, a long white cape hanging from his shoulders. _Oh, that's a nice look._ The special jonin glanced down at her own wardrobe. _I've been rocking this chainmail and coat look for a while, but a cape... Yeah, I could so totally pull that look off._ Anko quickly shook her head, returning her focus to the matter at hand. "And you might be?"

"I am the successor to Mui and the master of Hozuki Castle," the older man said, scratching his white beard as he introduced himself. "I am Sosuke Kettei."

"It's nice to meet you," Anko said, bowing slightly as if in the presence of the Hokage himself.

"And I you," Sosuke replied as he folded his arms across his chest, "but I would feel our introductions would be much nicer if you were not scaring the hell out of those under my command."

"I get that a lot," Anko replied. "But I promise to be on my best behavior. Honest."

"Well then," Sosuke said, his voice now at ease, "Kakashi Hatake said you were interested in speaking to one of our prisoners, a particularly nasty individual. If it were up to me he'd have been put to death upon his arrival here, but the kages agreed to let him live. Goodness knows what kind of gutsy fool convinced them that was how it should be."

"Oh, I have an inkling of who that could have been," Anko said under her breath, trying to suppress a giggle.

"Regardless of what I think of the village leaders' decision, I am to abide by it. Unlike the previous lord of Hozuki Castle I will not make decisions of my own that will lead it to ruin once more. So, much to your fortune, the prisoner who you wish to speak with is still among the living. Now please follow me, Lady Mitarashi."

Sosuke Kettei turned his cloaked back on Anko and began to head towards the main complex in the center of the Blood Prison. The special jonin moved forward at a quick pace, joining the master of the Blood Prison by his side. Meanwhile the guards and gatekeeper let loose with long held breathes, thankful that the intimidating kunoichi had moved on.

"So you say you are impressed with our security measures?" Sosuke asked, keeping a quick pace as he did so.

"Very much so," Anko replied. "Though I do have to ask how doyou keep the particular dangerous rogue shinobi under control? I mean, I don't mean to doubt your strength, but there are some especially powerful ninja out there... in here, I mean."

"Such as the prisoner you wish to convene with," Sosuke said. "The former master, flawed as he was, passed on to us all a jutsu that allows us to reign in the more disgruntled prisoners. Utilizing the fire style, he crafted a technique called the Celestial Prison. By placing the jutsu's markings on a prisoner it cuts them off from wielding their chakra in an offensive manner."

"Punishing people with a cursed seal, huh?" Anko glanced away from Sosuke, but continued to keep up with his stride.

"Does that bother you?"

"Not in regards to the people you utilize it against," Anko answered. "I just don't have a fondness for sealing marks in general."

"Oh." That was all the master of Hozuki Castle was willing to say. He could feel the pain in Anko's words and he had no desire to dredge any more of it up to the surface just to satisfy his curiosity as to what had caused it in the first place. To that end he quickly attempted to change the subject. "However, with the prisoner in question we also had to take more extreme mea-"

"Hey, old man Kettei!"

Both Sosuke and Anko stopped in their tracks, a little over a dozen of obvious prisoners walking towards them.

"What's with you bringing this sweet little angel into the Blood Prison, old timer?" the prisoner in front asked. He was a rather large man, his head bald, his eyes blazing with anger. "She do something wrong, or have you been stuck here so long that even you want a little conjugal visit? Not cool man. We all could use some of that!"

"Gentleman, we have a lady in our presence, so I advise you show some manners." Sosuke Kettei began to step forward, slipping off the black gloves that adorned his hands. The prisoners stepped back in response, giving Anko the hint that they had paid for transgressions at the hands of the Blood Prison warden before.

"Wait." Anko threw her arm in front of Sosuke, blocking his movement. "Far be it from me to ruin your fun, but I've been having a rough time of it lately and a little justified violence would probably calm my mind. So, by chance, do you mind if I have this honor?"

"Be my guest," Sosuke answered, taking a step back. "But please, don't be too rough on them. They have no jutsu to employ at present."

"Oh don't worry." Anko moved forward now, cracking her knuckles. "I'll play fair. Besides, I want to do this the old fashioned way."

The bald prisoner suddenly seemed less concerned, knowing he didn't have to face off with his warden. He stepped forward to greet Anko's advancement. "So, cutie, you want to throw down with Yami the Butcher?"

"No." Anko looked up into the tall man's eyes. "I just want to put you in your place."

"Why you!" The man who had identified himself as Yami pulled his large arm back, his hand tightening into a fist. "Jutsu or no jutsu I'm gonna break your face!"

"Give it your best sho-" Anko's taunt was brought to an end, Yami's fist smashing into her left cheek. Her head rolled with the punch, the special jonin's upper body pitching to the side as her feet slid across the ground thanks to the force of the impact.

"Not so funny now are you?"

"No," Anko shot back, her eyes staring up Yami's arm and to his face. Her cheek was pressed painfully into her face, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of Anko's mouth. "Not me. Besides I'm no comedian, but I do know a sick joke when he's given me his all."

Yami, despite all his bravado, didn't know what to make of Anko's own. He pulled his fist away from the special jonin and took a fearful step back. "The hell you saying?"

Anko turned her head to the side, spitting out the blood that was swirling around in her mouth. She watched as the red liquid stained the dirt, then she turned her attention back to Yami. "There's no point in repeating myself since you clearly don't understand words. So let me teach you in your language!"

Anko leapt forward, driving her right knee harshly into Yami's chin. The man's head snapped back, his back smashing violently into the ground beneath him. He cried out in pain, trying to force himself to stand. His movement was cut short, however, as Anko landed atop his prone body, her knee painfully digging into his chest.

"Nice shot, girlie," Yami coughed out, blood running from both his mouth and nose. Despite his pain he flashed Anko a vicious grin, showing that he had lost a tooth from her attack. "Guess you weren't all talk..."

Anko's eyes went wide, Yami's face shifting from his own to Orochimaru's, the Sannin's wicked grin present in place of the prisoner's own. "You bastard!"

Anko slammed her fist into 'Orochimaru's' face again and again, her rage taking hold of her. She saw the betrayer's face snap to the side over and over again, bloody spilling to the ground, but the sounds he was making were not in his familiar, terrifying voice.

_What am I doing?_ Anko's strikes began to slow, her mind taking control of her rage. _This isn't Orochimaru..._

Yami's face began to come back into focus, Anko's eyes clearing. Still her fist was on a collision course for the prison's face once more, too late to stop the strike.

"Enough." Sosuke Kettei's hand gripped hold of Anko's wrist with force. Despite that application of strength the special jonin could feel it was backed not by anger but concern, the touch gentle despite the speed in which it had been initiated. "Calm yourself, Lady Mitarashi."

"I..." Anko could feel shame overwhelming her soul. "I'm so sorry."

"No... worries..." Yami the Butcher gasped out as the master of Hozuki Castle helped Anko off the prisoner. "Been here long enough to get used to the severe beatings..."

"I do not believe she was apologizing to you," Sosuke shot back sternly, kicking the downed Yami in the face with his hard boot as he did so. "And one who calls himself a butcher deserves no pity."

"I lost control," Anko said, watching as the other prisoners who had been beside Yami were running off in fear. The special jonin looked down at her right hand, catching sight of the blood on it. Yami's blood. She waved her hand quickly, trying to get the unsettling red liquid off of her.

"Here." Sosuke Kettei moved in close and used a handkerchief of his own to wipe the bloody from Anko's knuckles.

"Thank you," Anko said, the warden's compassion leaving her feel at ease. _The hell is wrong with me? For crying out loud I've scratched a genin's face and took a taste just to freak him out! So why am I losing it thanks to the sight of that jackass' blood on my hand?_

"Come, let us return to our journey before any other interruptions present them self." The Blood Prison master began to walk forward once again. "Oh, and guards? Get Yami here some medical attention."

Anko watched as two guards helped the man she had battered, then joined Sosuke as he entered the main building. The two were quiet now and the warden guided Anko to a stairway. The two worked their way down, the darkness threatening their senses. In response Sosuke snapped his fingers and with nary the utterance of a jutsu a flame appeared in the palm of his head. It provided a source of light for both he and his guest and they continued their journey.

"This cell is awfully far down," Anko commented, wrapping her arms around herself as they descended down yet another flight.

"The greater the prisoner's crimes, the closer they will be to hell."

"Charming."

Sosuke stopped as he and Anko arrived at Hozuki Castle's lowest level. The warden produced several keys from his cloak, opening lock after lock on the main door. Then he placed his hand on the doorway, a faint glow hinting at a sealing jutsu. "Release," Sosuke said calmly, the light fading. Then and only then did he open the door.

"He's right inside, Lady Mitarashi. I will give you the privacy that your Hokage insisted you would want, but I will wait here if you need me."

"Thank you," Anko replied. She took a deep breath, then stepped through the doorway and into the darkness. _It's time we talked, Kabuto. And you're going to tell me everything I want to know about Orochimaru._


	4. Dragon in the Dark

**Disclaimer:** As you can probably imagine I do not own the Naruto series or any of its characters. That pleasure belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Oh sure, I've purchased some manga volumes, a few DVDs and at least one video game spawned from the franchise, but the series itself? Oh no, certainly not mine. You'd know if it were me in charge. There'd be tons more screen time for the likes of Haku, Zabuza and Anko. Oh, and every filler arc and movie would involve Guren.

* * *

><p>Anko Mitarashiwas alone in the darkness of the Blood Prison now, the void of the prison threatening to consume as Sosuke Kettei closed the door to lowest cell. Still she was not afraid in the least. The special jonin stood still, allowing her eyes to grow accustomed to the lack of light. Slowly but surely Anko could make out the corridor she had entered, the details of it becoming apparent to her. Then and only then did the kunoichi take her first tentative step forward.<p>

_This is practically solitary confinement. Perhaps Kabuto would have been more fortunate if Naruto had kept his mouth shut and let the Allied Shinobi Forces potentially condemn him to death._

The special jonin knew she had decided to pursue justice over vengeance, all thanks to her talk with both the Sixth Hokage and Team Seven but she had to question her very commitment to the ideal. She was seeing Orochimaru everywhere now, in reflections, in other people's faces, and she was clearly reacting violently in response.

_That Naruto kid pursues a path of peace of forgiveness. It's admirable, respectable and something to be encouraged but... can someone as scarred as myself even live up to that ideal? Could Orochimaru?_

Anko had to wonder if her presence, someone affected by past transgressions as she was, was even worthy of living in the present world. She stopped for a moment, resting her right hand against a wall to steady herself. Her head lowered down, her free hand clasping around her forehead.

_No doubt the Third Hokage would have pressed me to move on, just as I did before but... How I wish I could have seen him one last time. If only to thank him for his wisdom, his guidance. And perhaps to seek his counsel one last time._

Anko had heard it all in the missions reports after receiving confirmation from the Sixth Hokage of Orochimaru's return, that the deceased Hokage of time's past had been resurrected to aid the Allied Shinobi Forces against Madara Uchiha. The irony that they had been brought back temporarily by Orochimaru himself via the Reanimation summoning jutsu was not lost on the kunoichi.

_It all comes back to that treacherous snake..._ Anko couldn't wrap her mind around the fact she had been presented with upon returning back to the Hidden Leaf Village. Everything she had read in the reports implied that Orochimaru had actively aided everyone against Madara, going so far as to save all the then-current village leaders, Tsunade included, that Madara had left at death's door. _Just self-preservation. It would have been a major inconvenience to that bastard's goal of learning all jutsu at any cost if he were trapped in the Infinite Tsukuyomi alongside the rest of the world. Wait..._

Then it hit Anko Mitarashi full force, a realization that left her mind frantic.

_Only TeamSeven and the reborn Hokage escaped the grasp of the Infinite Tsukuyomi. What the hell kind of paradise was Orochimaru experiencing? In fact, what paradise had Itachi Uchiha 'condemned' him to before that?_

The special jonin dropped to her knees, her hands pressed against the corridor floor as she gasped for air. Her imagination took complete hold of her, horrible image after horrible image dancing across her mind's eye. Orochimaru standing alone in one of his laboratories, his twisted experiments on the unwilling playing out before him. The Hidden Leaf Villageaflame with destruction, dead shinobi littering its landscape. Orochimaru standing atop Hokage Monument, the honored leaders stone memorials shattered. Orochimaru's eyes then began to shift, becoming the Sharingan, then the fabled Rinnegan itself. All the while his laughter echoed throughout Anko's mind.

_No!_ Anko felt her stomach turn at the horrifying parade of possibilities, bringing her hand up to her mouth as if to fight back the urge to vomit in protest. She fought through the mental anguish, breathing slowly and deeply to take back control. Still, despite her continuing assertion of her mind and body, Anko knew one underlying truth. _I'm falling apart at the seams..._

The special jonin slowly made it back up to her feet, took one last deep breath, then opened her eyes and returned to walking down the lonely, dark corridor.

_Who the hell knows what that maniac considers his perfect world. Maybe it was a surprise even to him, like my experience was for me._ Anko quickly hurried her pace, wishing to speak with the imprisoned Kabuto as quickly as possible. _Let's just get this over with before I over-think myself to death..._

The kunoichi quickly caught sight of the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, candles adorning the corridor at long last. More importantly, however, Anko caught sight of a barred doorway, a glowing red jutsu barrier behind it.

"Ah, the footsteps of a guest," a familiar voice called out from behind the barrier. "A guard bringing my daily lunch? I do so lose track of the time alone in here. Or perhaps it is my host, Lord Kettei, wishing to speak of how fortunate I am to be left alive? Or maybe, just maybe, I have a particular visitor from the Hidden Leaf here wishing to speak with me."

Anko stopped her movement, the words shocking her. _How does he know?_ Shaking her head of any fear she began to move forward once more. "Right on the third try."

She could see Kabuto Yakushi through the bars and barrier, the rogue shinobi wearing only black pants as he sat crossed legged on the floor, his back to her. His skin was as pale as she had last seen him, the remnants of his experimentation to be the successor to Orochimaru still evident. There were markings running across his torso, no doubt the Celestial Prison jutsu that Sosuke had made mention of. However there was another seal adorning the man's body, one clearly different in tone and pattern. Anko could only imagine that was the other precaution that the warden had made mention of.

"Well then, welcome back, Naruto." Kabuto slowly stood up and began to turn around. His face was calm, displaying no sign of emotion. Then, once he made eye contact with Anko the man's eyes went wide with surprise. He quickly turned away, as if unwilling to look upon the kunoichi. "You?"

Anko was puzzled by Kabuto's reaction but didn't let it phase her blunt personality in the slightest. "Yes, me. Though clearly you were expecting someone else. Well too bad. You're just going to have to deal with it."

"My apologies," Kabuto continued, turning his back towards Anko once more. His voice was eerie, yet sincere, leaving the special jonin still puzzled by his words and actions. "It's just that Naruto has visited me once before and promised to check in when the opportunity presented itself."

_Aww, that little brat really does have a heart of gold._ Anko still wouldn't let her thoughts cloud her spoken words, keeping any emotion in check. "I hope you thanked him, because I'm pretty sure that kid's the only reason you're still alive."

"I did indeed," Kabuto answered, his back still turned towards Anko. "That boy has changed my life more than I would care to admit. He gave me the motivation to surpass those who I considered my superiors and now has allowed me to live my life in repentance for the crimes I committed. Only one other has helped me as much as Naruto Uzumaki."

Anko had a feeling she knew who Kabuto was speaking of. "Orochimaru."

"Perhaps if you asked me before the war ended I would have answered with his name, but no."

Anko raised an eyebrow, totally unsure of who Kabuto was referring to. "Who then?"

"Itachi Uchiha," Kabuto replied, a sense of admiration playing in his voice. "Almost my entire life I had suffered without an identity of my own. I let myself become a cipher with no true calling, no true aspiration in life. At first I thought Naruto had given me that goal, but in the end all I was doing was mimicking others, Orochimaru in particular. But Itachi... I selfishly brought him back to life to use as a weapon of war and he in turn forced me to confront my past and rediscover who Kabuto Yakushi really is."

"How touching." Anko refused to show the prisoner of war any compassion, something that Kabuto was quick to pick up on.

"You and Naruto are quite similar, you know," he suddenly said. "Brash and headstrong, perhaps to a fault. Though there is one particular difference."

"Gender?"

"Well, yes, that," Kabuto continued, surprising Anko with his suddenly flustered tone. The kunoichi couldn't help but grin that she had gotten under his snake-like skin. Kabuto was quick to compose himself, however, and speak once more. "He believes in redemption while you, I feel, do not. Or perhaps you simply cannot."

Anko bit down on her lower lip, anger starting to build thanks to the man's accusation. She knew she shouldn't have let it get to her but Anko knew the truth herself, her own doubts of the possibility of redemption having been clouding her mind. In retaliation she finally let her emotions to the surface and snapped at Kabuto. "Damn it! Why the hell won't you look at me?"

"No doubt you came here to interrogate me, and yet it appears I'm getting under your skin. My apologies." Kabuto finally turned back to face Anko, but quickly lowered his gaze towards the floor. "But, to be fair, you gotten under my skin first."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Shame, Lady Mitarashi." Kabuto suddenly dropped to one knee, pressing both his hands to the floor. "The Kabuto Yakushi who bows before you, the Kabuto Yakushi who has found his identity, is ashamed of his endless atrocities... as well as the actions I committed against you."

Anko's composure had quickly asserted itself once more, her emotions reigned in. It allowed her to remain stone-faced before the apologetic prisoner. Despite that outward appearance, however, she was at a complete loss for words, unable to process what she was hearing from a man who had caused so much death in his pursuit of power. _Maybe there really is truth to what the Sixth Hokage and Naruto were preaching._

Anko glared down at Kabuto's face, trying to ascertain what she could from his eyes. That quickly proved to be a critical mistake. Despite the glasses that framed them, Kabuto's eyes were the same as Orochimaru's own, right down to the purple markings that surrounded them. Then and there the similar visage changed before Anko, Kabuto's glasses fading from sight, his hair turning black and growing.

Just as it had happened twice before Orochimaru's face was before Anko, a hellish grin covering it. The kunoichi knew it wasn't real and she kept her anger in check this time. Nonetheless she took a step back from Kabuto's cell, shaking her head as she did so.

"What's the matter?" Kabuto asked, his voice disconcerting with its sincerity. "There's nothing to be afraid of. Even if I were the man I was before, even if I wished to harm you, I could not. Lord Kettei is nothing if not efficient." Kabuto pointed his finger to the first style of sealing on his chest, then the other. "The first has nullified my ability to use my chakra offensively and the second has left me unable to access the modifications I have made to my body. Despite my appearance I am simply mortal here."

"It's not that," Anko stammered, shaking her head to wipe away the sight of Orochimaru himself. She soon saw Kabuto once more, allowing her a moment to breathe easy. _He's not kidding though. The Blood Prison staff is truly efficient at detaining its prisoners. To find a counter for jutsu is one thing, but to restrain the abilities granted by genetic modification..._

"You see Orochimaru in me then?" Kabuto turned away again, returning to the sitting position that Anko had originally found him in. His back to the special jonin, Kabuto spoke once more. "Perhaps it is best for the both of us that we do not make eye contact."

"Perhaps." Anko approached the cell's barrier again. "Anyway, I've enjoyed our little chat but I came here for one simple reason."

"You wish to ask about Orochimaru."

"Yes," Anko replied. "I know he's alive thanks to Sasuke Uchiha using me as the means to bring him back from whatever realm he was trapped in."

"You could imagine my surprise when I ran into him on the battlefield," Kabuto said. "I had thought him dead at the Uchiha prodigy's hands, so to find him working alongside the boy against the true Madara Uchiha was quite the shock."

"So you were with Orochimaru at the end of the battle?" Anko tried to suppress a savage grin, knowing she was finally getting close to what she wanted to know.

"Yes, we were both trapped in the Infinite Tsukuyomi not long after and when I awoke he was becoming free as well."

"So where did he go?"

"So that's what you want," Kabuto suddenly said slyly, a low hiss escaping from his mouth. "You want to find Orochimaru and kill him."

"You're perceptive."

"Naturally," Kabuto said in response. "It's what Sasori of the Akatsuki, Danzo Shimura of the Foundation and Orochimaru himself liked about me. Well, that and I think the latter enjoyed the fact that he never knew what I was thinking, a rarity to the man."

"Danzo? The would-be Hokage who Sasuke Uchiha killed?"

"Yes, I've been quite connected with many organizations. No doubt it played a part in my identity crisis. Still, it's strange you refer to Danzo with such respect. It's as if you believe that someone who holds eligibility for the position of Hokage automatically means they deserve your respect"

"Are you talking about my lack of respect for Orochimaru, despite his being in contention for the position of the Fourth Hokage?"

"Oh no," Kabuto replied. "You truly do not know about Danzo, do you? Poor girl. You can fault Orochimaru all you want for his experimentation, especially on you, but it was one of the Hidden Leaf's very own highest ranking officials who looked the other way."

Anko's eyes widened in response to the rogue shinobi's words.

"No words left in you? Then let me continue. Danzo did not simply look the other way, he aided Orochimaru in his work, reaping the benefits himself. So please, do not be so quick as to defer to someone with respect solely on the grounds that he was a candidate for a position that Hiruzen Sarutobi left you in awe of."

"You..."

"Again, I must apologize," Kabuto said quite suddenly. "Moving past my crueler nature, even if words are the only weapons available to me, is still an ongoing process."

_Damn it._ Anko couldn't help but get a bit frustrated with Kabuto's actions. _Kabuto's possibly harder to get a read on than Orochimaru himself now that he's reformed. What the hell?_

Still, his revelation left Anko's mind racing. To imagine that someone who was a heartbeat away from becoming the Hokage could be as cruel and deceptive as Danzo apparently was, it was a lot for the kunoichi to take in. Worse, to imagine that anyone within the Hidden Leaf had supported the vile experimentation that Anko had witnessed her teacher commit, as well as what he had done to her in the pursuit of his endless goals, it left her seething with newfound anger.

"I was his student," she whispered, not talking to Kabuto but herself, "and I thought I knew the depths to which Orochimaru had plunged at that time, but I knew nothing of the evil that surrounded him."

"Evil?" Kabuto questioned. "I guess from one perspective he would appear as such. I can only look at him as a free man."

"You mean because you're here and he's out there plotting some mischief? I thought you said you were looking for redemption here?"

"I am. Allow me to explain. I thought I had surpassed Orochimaru with my ascension, but in the end I was nothing more than a puppet to the true Madara Uchiha. I brought him back from death's cold embrace, allowing him to circumvent the schemes of the pretender who had stolen his name, but it was to Madara's benefit and not my own. And even that legendary and all powerful shinobi of the acient past was nothing more than a puppet as well, his strings under the influence of a being that was beyond the comprehension of either you or I."

"So what the hell are you getting at?" Anko was getting clearly frustrated again, Kabuto going off on a tangent that was not getting her any closer to finding Orochimaru."

"It's simple," Kabuto answered. "I achieved power beyond Orochimaru's means, but power is nothing when you are simply dancing to a superior being's every whim, whether you know it or not. Orochimaru, however, never was. His goals were his own, no one else's. Despite his aiding Danzo, it was mutual at best. And when he could not obtain what he wanted from the Akatsuki he abandoned the organization, thwarting them at any turn he could find."

"So you still admire him?" Anko asked,

"I no longer refer to him as my lord or master as you might have noticed. And I do not envy his ability to be his own man as the world itself is free from the will that had been guiding it for so long thanks to Naruto Uzumaki and his allies."

_That Kaguya woman that the reports mentioned?_ Anko could only sigh. _How much did I miss thanks to being unconscious during the war?_

"But I do respect him for being able to cast off the strings of fate and live his life as he saw fit without others doing it for him."

"Well that's all warm and fuzzy," Anko concluded, hoping to end this conversation and get the information she actually wanted. "So tell me, where is the man who has no strings holding him down?"

"You act as if I would know."

"You were there with him when the war ended."

Kabuto said nothing.

"Well?"

"We did speak," the rogue shinobi finally said, leaving Anko to feel as if she were pulling teeth. "And because of that I do know where he went."

"So tell me."

"Instead I will tell you how this will go," Kabuto offered up instead. "You will listen to me. You will learn of Orochimaru's location. Then you will go there to fight him. And then he will defeat you."

Now it was Anko's turn to say nothing.

"You fought him once before and you fought me using only a fraction of the power he and I possess," Kabuto said, breaking the silence. "And I will admit, you put up an admirable fight, at least in my perspective. Your resistance was futile, but you showed heart. However, a heart without the power to challenge those who wish to harm it is nothing more than a liability. So tell me, what makes you think this time will be any different?"

"Third time's the charm?" Anko asked nervously, faking a smile as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Yes, my analysis that you share some personality traits with Naruto Uzumaki is spot on I think. Parallels... such a fascinating phenomenon."

"Okay..." Anko's face turned serious again. "So you won't tell me for my own safety. Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"I told you, thanks to Naruto Uzumaki and Itachi Uchiha I am a changed man," Kabuto replied. "I will not send you to your death, even if that confrontation is what you desire."

"I've no interested in dying."

"Then why did you attempt to use the a ninja art such as the Twin Snake Sacrifice jutsu against Orochimaru when you fought him in the Forest of Death?"

"You knew?"

"Orochimaru spoke quite a bit about your reunion after the fact," Kabuto answered. "So, did you feel at the time that it would be an ironic death if you were to kill Orochimaru with one of the forbidden jutsu that he taught you?"

"I..."

"Or did you just enter that battle willing to sacrifice your life, hoping at the least you could buy time for someone else to finish the fight? Be it the Hokage or the Anbu or anyone else?"

"I..."

Kabuto's temper suddenly flared, though he kept his back to Anko nonetheless. His voice raised, giving even if only slightly. "A shinobi who goes into battle considering death a possibility has already forfeit their life!"

The sudden outburst caught Anko by surprise. She stared intently at the imprisoned man who sat in the darkness and it was then that she caught sight of something that shocked even her. Despite his back facing her, the special jonin could see that Kabuto's head was tilted slightly towards the left, his gaze apparently facing downwards. Anko followed his possible line of sight as best she could and took notice that the war criminal's glasses were being held in his left hand.

_Those glasses..._ Anko could only imagine she had touched a nerve, even if only by sheer accident. She took a deep breath and spoke, wondering if her initiative was correct. "Who gave you those glasses?"

Kabuto did not respond for a moment, instead composing himself and bringing his glasses back up to his face. When he spoke, there was not a hint of a tremble in his voice. "And they call me the perceptive one. Perhaps Orochimaru truly appreciates that quality in those he takes under his wing."

"You don't have to tell me."

"Understanding is the first bond that can form between enemies," Kabuto suddenly said. "At least those were the words Naruto Uzumaki spoke to me when he visited here."

"He's a wise ass, I'll give him that."

"True," Kabuto replied, a slight chuckle escaping his lips.

_Okay, that was just creepy._ Anko didn't let it get to her for very long. "I guess a shared laugh is the second bond?"

"Perhaps," Kabuto answered. "Though, to answer your first question, these glasses were not given to me by anyone, but they are the exact same style as the pair my adopted mother gave to me so very long ago."

"So then she-"

"Yes, she died performing her duty as a shinobi to her village. To go into any more detail would be..."

"Don't." Anko was stunned herself not by what she had just said, but how. She had actually offered compassion to her enemy. _Naruto..._

"So now you understand a part of me," Kabuto said. "So what of you?"

Anko could not believe what she had gotten herself into. She had come to the Blood Prison with nothing more than the intention of interrogating Kabuto for information regarding Orochimaru's whereabouts, yet now she was swapping stories of pain and regret with him. Despite her reservations, however, she responded to his question.

"My mother," she began, "died while performing a mission for the Hidden Leaf Village." Anko closed her eyes and forced herself to continue. "As for my father... He loved his wife dearly, so much so that he couldn't live without her. And when I came back from my very first day at the shinobi academy I found him... I found... him... and..."

Anko brought her right arm up, using the sleeve of her long coat to absorb the tears that were beginning to stream away from her brown eyes.

"Don't."

The special jonin gasped at Kabuto's utterance, the rogue shinobi having done for her what she had for him only moments before.

"You know Orochimaru lost his parents at a young age as well, correct?"

Anko didn't reply. She simply couldn't.

"Anyway," Kabuto said, beginning to change the subject, "we understand each other now, even if just a little bit. My apologies for dredging up painful memories."

"I think I started it," Anko replied as she worked to compose herself. Nonetheless she couldn't believe this. She had only ever confided such information with two others, the Third Hokage and Orochimaru himself, the latter only when she had unconditionally trusted him. To find herself opening up to a man who had done as much wrong as Kabuto had was simply unbelievable to the special jonin.

"It does not matter who started it," Kabuto spoke, "as long as we mutually end it."

"All right then. Anyway, before we got sidetracked, you were talking about Orochimaru telling you about our encounter back during the Chunin Exams..."

"I believe I may have overstepped my bounds," Kabuto suddenly said, leaving Anko surprised. "What he said about that day is not for me to share."

Now Anko was getting a little angry. "What?"

"If you want to know what Orochimaru said about that reunion with you," Kabuto spoke, "then you must seek him out and ask the man himself."

Anko was exasperated now. "But you said you wouldn't tell me where he was!"

"I will tell you where he is, just as he told me where he was going when the war ended," Kabuto explained. "I will tell you and only you... on one condition."

Anko's eyes narrowed, concern becoming evident in her voice. "What's that?"

"You will become stronger. You will fulfill your potential as a shinobi before you face Orochimaru in battle once more. If you promise me that... I will tell you where he is."

"You're going to train me?"

"A worthwhile prospect," Kabuto replied, "but no. I cannot train you as I am now. What good is a teacher who can tell but not show? I can offer guidance, but not practical application."

"Then what?"

"You will have to grow on your own accord," Kabuto replied. "However, I can point you in the right direction. If you promise me that you will increase your skill, your strength then I will not only tell you of Orochimaru's location but of one other location that will be pertinent to you."

"And that would be?" Anko asked, her curiosity overwhelming her.

"Before I met up with Tobi, the pretender to Madara Uchiha's legacy, I left behind all the knowledge of jutsu and scientific experimentations I had conducted at a hidden base. One that was all mine, with no connections to Orochimaru's Hidden Sound Village. He has no knowledge of its existence, leaving you free to find that which I left behind before the war started."

"You want me to experiment on myself like you did?"

"I do not recommend it in the slightest," Kabuto answered, his voice showing signs of regret. "Take the knowledge, apply it as you see fit and become strong enough to challenge Orochimaru as an equal. If you wish to do it as a fellow monster, so be it. If you wish to do it as a true shinobi, all the better. I will leave that choice in your hands."

Anko let those words sink in, but Kabuto was quick to continue.

"Also, you should consider this as well. Orochimaru was reborn in a new body, yes, but the rules of his immortality are still an issue to consider. It has already been a month, so in less than three years time his new body will reject him."

"So?"

"He will need a new host and will no doubt move from his present hideout to find it."

"So, if I take you up on your offer, I'll only have a little under three years to train."

Anko mulled over her choices. She knew that she could possibly find Orochimaru herself, or at the very least with the aide of the Hidden Leaf itself, but Kabuto's knowledge would simplify the matter exponentially. Better still, he was offering her assistance in growing stronger. Still, despite his apparent quest for redemption, Kabuto was still a war criminal. Then there was also the possibility that he was playing Anko for a fool, every word he spoke nothing more than an elaborate plot. Perhaps he was still working with Orochimaru behind the scenes. There was so much to consider.

Amlp let her her options drift across her mind for minutes on end, then finally spoke her answer. "I promise you that I will heed your advice before I go to Orochimaru."

"Excellent," Kabuto replied. "Then I shall tell you want you want to know."


	5. Snowbound Serpents

**Disclaimer:** As you can probably imagine I do not own the Naruto series or any of its characters. That pleasure belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Oh sure, I've purchased some manga volumes, a few DVDs and at least one video game spawned from the franchise, but the series itself? Oh no, certainly not mine. You'd know if it were me in charge. There'd be tons more screen time for the likes of Haku, Zabuza and Anko. Oh, and every filler arc and movie would involve Guren.

* * *

><p><em>It's good to be home, right?<em>

Anko Mitarashi stood in the entrance way of the Hidden Leaf Village, taking in the sight of the hustle and bustle of those who lived and served there.

_Maybe I should go get some... No..._

Upon any return from a successful mission Anko would always make sure to go to her favorite sweet shop and pick up a few dango. She just couldn't get enough of the stuff and therefore it had become a bit of a tradition for her.

Now, however, the kunoichi was finding no desire or interest to keep that tradition alive. While her mission had not been an official one, only personal, Anko could only consider it a success. She had received from Kabuto Yakushi the information that she had desired, that and much more. The good and the truly bad, the latter of which had haunted the special jonin's thoughts during her journey back from Hozuki Castle. Even now she was still left in despair over what the man had told her.

_Can this truly be my ho-_

"Special Jonin Anko Mitarashi?"

The kunoichi's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a vaguely familiar voice. She turned to the direction and spoke in a lazy tone. "Huh?"

The special jonin too notice of a Hidden Leaf shinobi, one that only slightly jogged her memory. "Hey, long time no see, Lady Anko."

"Who?"

Anko starred at the auburn haired young man, trying to recall why he knew her while the reverse was not true. "Wait, you're... that shinobi who greeted me at the war's end."

"Sano Uemetsu at your service," the young man replied. "Long time no see. You feeling better these days? Because you really looked out of it when we last-"

Sano's words fell short, the shinobi at last taking notice of Anko's facial expression. It was withdrawn, sullen, a far cry from what he had heard of the special jonin.

"Are you... all right?"

"No, I... I don't think so," Anko whispered. "But that... that doesn't matter right now. So, how are you?"

Anko suddenly closed her eyes, flashing a grin for Sano's sake. "Well, uh," he stuttered, completely caught by surprise by the sudden shift in mood. "Good, I guess. The war is over and life moves on, right?"

"Yeah," Anko said, trying to keep her cheerful facade up. "Yeah, it really does."

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Sano suddenly exclaimed. "The Sixth Hokage heard you were coming back to the village and I was instructed to inform you that he wants you to report to his office!"

"Oh?" Anko knew beyond a shadow of a doubt what Kakashi Hatake wanted. _This isn't going to be pleasant..._ The kunoichi sighed, then spoke again. "Thank you, Sano. I'd hate to keep the Hokage waiting, so..."

Anko took off then, power walking her way towards the center of the village. Soon enough she found herself working up towards the main office of the Hokage's building. She reached for the door knob, hesitating for a moment.

_Can I... Can I trust him unconditionally?_ Biting her lower lip in frustration thanks to her confusion, Anko forced herself to enter the room and speak. "Lord Hokage, you wished to speak with me?"

"Mitarashi," Kakashi Hatake said sternly as he leaned over his desk. His fingers were wrapped together under his chin, his elbows propped up on the desk's surface. One eye covered by his Hidden Leaf headband, the other stared at Anko, leaving her uncomfortable. "You deliberately disobeyed me."

_Here we go..._ Anko remained steadfast, willing to accept the Hokage's words of condemnation. "I won't argue that, but I... I thank you for contacting Lord Kettai so that I would have permission to speak with Kabuto."

Kakashi said nothing.

"But how did you know I was going there?"

"I'm the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf," Kakashi answered, though barely. "It's my duty to know the comings and goings of those under my care."

"A spy watching my every move, huh? Guess I shouldn't expect any less from someone who used to be involved with the Anbu."

Kakashi's exposed eye narrowed. "Excuse me?"

Anko couldn't believe what she had just done. She had actually spoken in a hostile fashion towards a Hokage, acting defiant directly to their face. She knew why, however, but she didn't like it all the same. "I spoke out of turn, my lord. I am sorry."

Kakashi was quiet, letting the moment drag on before finally speaking once more. Now his voice was no longer stern but concerned. "What did you and Kabuto speak of?"

"Too much I think," Anko replied. "More than I had expected to learn. So let me ask you, Kakashi of the Anbu, did you know what kind of man Danzo Shimura was?"

"Not at the time, but after his death I was told of his misdeeds," the Hokage replied. "So that is what's bothering you."

"A former member of the Anbu, a representative of the Hidden Leaf's elders, the leader of root..." Anko's voice began to train off before rising to new heights. "A potential Hokage... and he was aiding Orochimaru!"

"It is true,' Kakashi responded. "Despite his apparent love of the Hidden Leaf, Danzo's many misdeeds were a detriment to all it stands for."

Both of Anko's hands balled into fists, her voice shaking as she continued to lose herself in the moment. "How can I trust the Hidden Leaf itself if scum like that could ascend so far among its hierarchy? Was I a fool to trust the Third Hokage?"

"Anko." Kakashi spoke the kunoichi's name, trying to rally her attention to him, to break her through the cloud of despair that was descending upon the woman. "Danzo lived in the shadows, letting few be privy to his actions. He helped himself, believing it the only way to properly safeguard the Hidden Leaf. The Third Hokage, however, stood out in the sunlight, doing all he could for the village. He sacrificed everything for it, believing that only then those he called his family would be safe. You were not wrong to put your faith in the Third Hokage, or any other that came before or after him."

Anko heard the words of the Sixth Hokage, knowing they were the truth. Still, the terrible truths that Kabuto had given to her were hard to push past. "I..."

"It's all right, Anko," Kakashi suddenly said, a cheerful expression escaping even the confines of his mask. "The title of Hokage is granted to those that put their comrades, their shinobi families, above the needs of their own. One such as Danzo could never have ascended to such heights."

"Right..."

Kakashi let the moment of silence hang in the air, waiting until he felt that Anko's conflicted thoughts had faded. "So... did you learn what you wanted to about Orochimaru?"

_Why am I surprised he would ask? He knew exactly what I was after and the Hidden Leaf deserves to know where an S-rank villain is hiding after all. But..._ The Sixth Hokage had worked diligently to dispel Anko's doubts and trust issues, but there was one thing holding her back from speaking of Orochimaru's present location. "If I tell you, you'll issue the order to have him captured or killed right here, right now. Or am I wrong?"

"As the Sixth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village it would be my responsibility to do so, yes," Kakashi answered. "Isn't that what you wanted, for Orochimaru to face justice for his crimes?"

"Yes, but..."

"You still seek vengeance." Kakashi's shoulders sunk at the utterance of that last word, as if he was on the verge of admitting defeat. "Anko..."

"It's... confusing," the kunoichi began to explain. "I tried to defeat Orochimaru on my own once before. I was willing to sacrifice myself for that cause, but in the end he lived to see another day. Ever since then I've sat back and had to accept that it was up to someone else to defeat him. The Third Hokage, Tsunade, Naruto, Sasuke, Itachi... Anyone but me was going to be the one to settle things with him."

Kakashi stood up from his desk and approached Anko, just as he had during their last meeting pertaining to Orochimaru.

"He's already taken so much away from you," the Sixth Hokage spoke. "As the one entrusted to safeguard all those who reside in the Hidden Leaf, I could not bear it if he were to take you as well."

"Lord Hokage..." Anko was left speechless by the Hokage's words, trying to process where they were coming from. "Are you..." The kunoichi shook her head, clearing her thoughts. "I can train, I can become strong enough to face him myself!"

"I don't doubt your skills as a shinobi," the Sixth Hokage replied. "Or your potential. But time is of the essence. The longer Orochimaru is free to do as he pleases the more dangerous he could become. If you know where he is then you have an obligation to the world to trust me in handling the situation."

"I..."

"Did Kabuto tell you about the body Orochimaru currently has in his possession?" Kakashi suddenly asked, trying to cut through Anko's confusion. "No, I suppose not. He was not there at the time it happened, so unless Orochimaru told him himself..."

"He just has a new body made from a fragment of Kabuto's body, right?"

"If only it were that simple," Kakashi replied. "Sasuke Uchiha told me that Orochimaru used the Immortality Jutsu to transfer his soul to one of the Zetsu the enemy was using during the war."

"What?" Thanks to the mission briefings at the onset of the war Anko knew full well the capabilities of the Zetsu. After all they had been considered the enemy's main force, at least before Kabuto had unveiled his undead army of shinobi. "But then..."

"Orochimaru always sought a body that could house his soul without rejection," the Sixth Hokage began to say. "And while he was primarily interested in the Uchiha, the genetic legacy of the Senju was also of interest to him."

"And the Zetsu were composed of the genetic material of the First Hokage..." Anko's eyes slowly went wide with horror and realization. "Then he might not even need to switch bodies in three years time."

"It's worse than that," Kakashi continued. "While it's true that the regenerative capabilities of a Zetsu body infused with Senju DNA could last Orochimaru far longer than any other body, it may have also added to his already formidable strength. Sasuke also informed me that during the war Orochimaru regained the usage of all his jutsu that the Third Hokage had taken from him."

Anko quickly grew depressed at that revelation. _Did the Third Hokage sacrifice his life for nothing?_

Kakashi took notice of that change in mood, hoping that he was getting through to the shinobi under his care and command. "Orochimaru is stronger now than he's ever been before, and he may very well be growing in knowledge and power as we speak. Anko, I know you want closure, that you want to settle this matter on your own, but how many will suffer while you train to face him?"

Anko knew that the Sixth Hokage was right, that the world had to come before her own selfish desires. The kunoichi took a deep breath, trying to force her need to indulge herself away. "Kabuto informed me that Orochimaru is hiding in the Land of Snow."

Anko watched as the Hokage's one visible eyebrow visibly raised at the revelation, but if the location meant anything to him he was not forthcoming with the information. "Is there a Hidden Sound laboratory there?"

"No," Anko replied quickly. "There is a fortress of sorts tucked away in the mountains, but it was not Orochimaru's own. He's just using Yukijigoku like he uses everything and everyone else."

"The Hell Buried Within the Snow," Kakashi said. "If I remember it right, an S-rank criminal built that place, but he was killed in battle with Hidden Leaf ninja who had been assigned the mission to apprehend him."

"Tamashi Toketsu," Anko suddenly said, suddenly flinching as she did so. "He.. he was developing a prototype for some kind of chakra armor."

"I know the kind," Kakashi replied, "but how do you know so much about Yukijigoku? Unless..."

"Yes," Anko whispered, her voice becoming withdrawn. "Orochimaru and Team Ten were the ones who... who killed Tamashi."

* * *

><p>"Oh, now this is disappointing! A criminal of my caliber and the best the world can do is offer one Sannin and three children as a sacrifice? I wanted to kill all three of the legendary shinobi! To kill the Hokage himself!"<p>

Anko Mitarashi heard the words of the man known as Tamashi Toketsu, the blond haired individual standing not ten feet away. He was clad in an upper body black armor of some sort, a stark contrast to the white pants he had on.

_What were you thinking, Lord Orochimaru?_ Anko stood behind her teacher while both Hogo Shahei and Juyodenai Hito, the other members of Team Ten, were with her as well. The three genin were terrified beyond measure, knowing that they were in the room with a rogue shinobi of high rank. The location of the forthcoming battle did no favors in regards to Anko's fear either. The kunoichi knew the temperature outside was frigid, but the torches that lined the walls of the room left the flames licking the darkness, casting light and shadow in equal measure. _Why did you get us into this situation?_

The Hidden Leaf Village never allowed its rookie shinobi to engage in S-rank situations, though sometimes it did happen that a team would stumble into a situation that was more than they originally thought. Nonetheless the Hokage would never intentionally assign a new team to such a mission. First they would have to move up in the ranks, prove themselves worry. However Orochimaru had asked for this assignment and was granted permission to bring his students along. There was hesitation on the Third Hokage's part, Anko remembered that much, but Orochimaru was the village leader s favorite student and because of that he had gotten what he wanted.

_Lord Orochimaru can handle this guy no problem, right?_

Anko had faith in her master despite her fears. Orochimaru was a jonin of great power, a student of a Hokage and one of the three legendary Sannin. Surely he could handle one lone shinobi. Holding her breath, just as her two teammates were doing, Anko waited for her teacher to step forward and face Tamashi.

"Well now, children," Orochimaru finally said. "I think it's time for you to prove your worth. Attack him as a team. Now."

Anko's blood ran cold at those words. "Lord Orochimaru?"

"You're... you're kidding right?" Hogo asked, his voice shaking.

"Yeah, this is our first mission outside of the Hidden Leaf!" Juyodenai cried. "We can't do this!"

Anko said nothing more, watching as Orochimaru used his arms to part his cloak, an article of clothing that he currently shared with his students to fight off the cold weather outside. For a moment Anko thought her master was going to make contact with his students, perhaps a comforting hand on a shoulder. Instead, however, Orochimaru simply crossed his arms across his chest.

"Have I not told you that true strength is born from adversity?" the Sannin asked, his tone evenly tempered. "Now go and become stronger still."

The members of Team ten were still nervous, not to mention flabbergasted by their master's command. Anko was willing to do as he said, but she knew that it would no doubt cost the kunoichi her life. "All right, Lord Orochimaru, but-"

Anko suddenly gasped, Orochimaru kneeling down and gently taking hold of her chin. He looked her in the eyes and spoke once more. "Do not worry, my protege. You will fight, you will grow strong, but you will not die. I shall be your safety net."

Anko couldn't help but smile then, her worries and fears put to rest. She understood now, why Orochimaru had asked for this high ranking mission, why he wanted his students to fight in his place. This was just another part of their training, another step along the way to becoming a shinobi of incredible power.

_Lord Orochimaru is the best!_ Anko turned away from her master, raising her right hand up into a fist, her cloak falling over her shoulder. "All right, you guys! Let's show this jerk Tamashi guy what Team Ten's made of!"

Anko led the charge, reaching into the inside of her cloak for a handful of shuriken. She quickly threw the weapons forward, continuing to advance towards Tamashi as the deadly objects sailed before her.

"You worthless snake!" Tamashi screamed as he brought his right arm up, the shuriken bouncing harmlessly off his black gauntlet. "You would send children to die in your place? What an epic sham you are!"

_Lord Orochimaru has faith in us, and we'll show it isn't misplaced!_ Anko wasn't the least bit discouraged that her attack hadn't caused any damage. It was simply the first part of her offensive. The shuriken had been nothing more than a diversion, allowing her to retrieve a smoke bomb from her cloak. She threw the grenade at Tamashi's feet, smoke pouring out from it immediately. That too, however, was also a simple distraction, one Anko and her teammates had practiced time and time again.

"Wind Style: Art of the Gust Blade!"

"Water Style: Raging Waves!"

Hogo and Juyodenai had encircled Tamashi while the elder ninja's eyesight was cut off, preparing jutsu as they did so. The hand seals completed, blades of wind and a focused stream of water moved into the fog from both sides.

_Did we get him?_ Anko knew deep down that only two jutsu had no hope of defeating a shinobi so easily, but she hoped it would harm him still. Besides, it was simply the beginning of their assault.

Then The smoke from the grenade cleared, leaving Team Ten in shock. Tamashi was standing tall and unharmed, faint blue chakra shifting around his body.

I guess I shouldn't be so surprised, Anko mused. _I've watched that scene play out way too many times in comics..._

"Ah, such fools this new generation is producing." Tamashi threw his head back, his arms waving to his sides as he let out a high pitched laugh. "You children actually think you can harm me? Don't make me laugh!"

"Obviously too late for that." Anko took the shinobi's moment of elation to try and figure out what was going on. She knew she should have been in a panic thanks to her enemy being unharmed, but she knew such feelings would only be a detriment in battle. The kunoichi knew, just as her teammates did, that now was the time to analyze her opponent as best she could.

Tamashi was clearly unhinged, his vocal patterns and body language a dead giveaway. Anko had to imagine he wasn't taking Team Ten seriously thanks to their ages, but that was giving her the time she needed to try and figure out his defenses. Clearly the armor he was wearing on his upper body had to be playing a part in it, but the blue light that was moving around his body was no doubt the biggest reason the two jutsu attacks had no effect on the S-rank criminal.

"Oh, you like my light show, little girl?" Tamashi suddenly stopped laughing, pitching his body forward and tilting his head towards Anko as he did so. "Envious, aren't you?"

Anko said nothing, unwilling to give the villain what he wanted.

"Oh, the silent type, huh?" Tamashi grinned, bringing one hand under his chin. "Please don't be offended that I didn't say 'the strong, silent type.' We both know that would be a lie after all." Then, suddenly, he pointed at both Hogo and Juyodenai, Tamashi's voice raising to a crescendo. "And don't think you stupid little brats aren't weak as well, you got it?"

_Yep, he's clearly crazy..._ Anko knew crazy, she had been called it herself a time or two and she knew Orochimaru had the same accusation thrown at him thanks to his personality. This man Tamashi, however, was apparently beyond the both of them, his shifts in mood and temperament leaving Anko uneasy. _But this whole mission was about capturing Tamashi before he could build weapons for the guy in charge of the Land of Snow, so he's got to be smart right?_

"And you again!" Tamashi's sight turned back towards Anko. "Are you judging me, huh? I see that look in your eyes!"

_Yeah, I'd say he's crossed the line between genius and insanity multiple times..._

"Well back off, girlie!" Tamashi's temper was clearly flaring again. "Doto Kazahana hired me to build him weapons of war, so respect your elder geniuses!"

Anko watched on, catching sight of the blue light that encircled Tamashi slowly retracting into the black armor. _So that's it._ No doubt Orochimaru had figured it out, but Anko had to hope he would be proud of her doing the same. "So that armor of yours protects you against jutsu, huh?"

"Say what?" Tamashi's face became surprised once more, one eye going wide. "The little girl caught on, huh?" Tamashi's face suddenly grew serious, his eyes narrowing. "Then you realize you can't hurt me. So die already!"

Anko was unwilling to go down without a fight. _So what if the armor absorbs jutsu. Hand-to-hand combat is still an option._ Anko withdraw from her cloak two kunai daggers, holding them in the reverse grip style. "Hogo! Juyodenai! Get in close! It's the only way!"

The two boys complied, retrieving their own kunai as they ran towards Tamashi. The older shinobi, however, only sighed in disgust of their actions. "Idiots. Fire style, Crimson Pillars!"

As she approached Tamashi, Anko could feel a sudden burst of heat around her. That, coupled with the shinobi's words, was enough to warn of her danger. "Team Ten, retreat!"

The three genin immediately leapt backwards, halting their forward momentum. As they did so fire burst forth from several points of the flooring around Tamashi, striking the ceiling. In the center of it all stood the older shinobi, a twisted expression of joy overtaking his face. "Such a shame you didn't come closer and burn to ashes, kids," he said with a laugh. "Like moths to a flame... I guess the flame will have to come to you!"

Tamashi suddenly began an attack once more, his movements and speed catching Anko off guard. The shinobi lunged at Hogo, grabbing the young boy around the face. Tamashi quickly slammed the back of the ninja's head into the stone floor.

"Hogo!" Anko could see blood, a strand of the red liquid escaping from the corner of her ally's mouth. Then Anko could hear Juyodenai screaming, Tamashi throwing him across the room with a kick to the face. "No!"

"No?" Tamashi asked, glancing over his shoulder. "You attack me first, then you say 'no' when I start fighting in self-defense? What a strange girl you are... Oh well." Tamashi suddenly turned around and gave Anko a disconcerting, friendly smile. "Time to die."

Anko bit down on her lower lip, gripping her kunai tightly. She wouldn't let Tamashi come at her. Instead she lunged at him, the weapons at the ready.

"Two slow," Tamashi said as he sidestepped the attack. "Try again. Maybe I'll let you hit me."

Anko took the man up on his offer, whirling around and driving her kunai into his torso. The weapons broke upon impact, the shinobi's chakra armor withstanding the attack.

"Too bad," Tamashi said, oddly acting kind. "Perhaps if you had aimed here," he said, touching his neck, "you might have killed me."

Suddenly Anko felt Tamashi's hands grip down tightly around her neck. The older shinobi lifted the kunoichi up into the air, her feet losing contact with the floor. Anko gasped for air as Tamashi began to crush her throat. She clawed at his hands with her own, trying to free herself.

"It's been such a long time since I heard the sound of someone's neck snapping," Tamashi said with an odd giggle. "It'll be like listening to a long forgotten song. I thank you in advance for the nostalgia, little girl."

Anko could feel her strength leaving her, her neck burning with pain. It was all she could do to speak. "Lord... Orochimaru..."

Anko's eyes began to close, the world around her going black. Then, as suddenly as it started, the pain stopped. Anko felt her body hit the floor and she coughed in pain, rubbing the front of her throat with her right hand. She opened her eyes and could see Orochimaru standing between herself and Tamashi.

Now Anko spoke again, this time with jubilation. "Lord Orochimaru!"

"Did I not say I would be Team Ten's safety net?" the Sannin asked, turning slightly to face Anko. "Though I did expect better from you three. What am I going to do with you all?"

"Nothing," Tamashi interjected, drawing Orochimaru's attention back to him. "After I kill you all it won't mean a damn thing, will it?"

"Such an overconfident question," Orochimaru hissed. "Do not overstep your bounds. My students already figured out the flaw of your armor and now you face one who can exploit that weakness."

Orochimaru slammed a closed fist into Tamashi's face, drawing the faintest bit of blood from the man's mouth. From the floor Anko watched as the men began to exchange blows, the two of them engaging in close combat. The young kunoichi knew she had nothing to fear now, the man who she respected most in the world defending her and her teammates. "Get him, Lord Orochimaru!"

Knowing full well that her master would end the fight with the ease befitting a Sannin, Anko moved over towards her defeated teammates. She knelt down by the battered Hogo, relieved to find him still breathing. Gently Anko used a cloth from her cloak to wipe the blood away from his mouth, then turned towards Juyodenai. The young man was unconscious as well, a bruise forming on his face.

Seeing her teammates in such a state left Anko angry. She could only hope Orochimaru would make Tamashi Toketsu pay for it. She turned to watch that unfold, only to find something terrible instead.

"No..." Orochimaru was down, Tamashi standing triumphant before him. The rogue shinobi was performing hand seals, something that left the kunoichi in a panic for her master's safety.

"I expected better of one of the Sannin!" Tamashi was screaming as he looked down at the fallen Orochimaru. "Perhaps after I kill you the world will offer me better foes to prey on! Fire style..."

"Don't you touch him!" Anko stood up, her breath escaping her in ragged gasps of rage. She raised her right arm, aiming her palm at Tamashi. "Striking Shadow Snake!"

A long green snake appeared around Anko's arm in a faint puff of smoke, summoned by her out of control anger. The creature suddenly shot forth from her, extending its body as it did so. The serpent bared its saliva soaked fangs as it approached Tamashi.

"No matter, my armor will block your attack's chak-" Tamashi's words were brought to a halt, replaced with a scream as the snake's fangs bit into his throat, blood gushing out in every direction.

Anko didn't say a word. She pulled her arm back, the snake following its movement. The serpent pulled violently away from Tamashi, a bloody portion of his flesh still in its mouth. Anko watched as Tamashi clutched at his damaged neck, blood pouring from the wound. Then his movement stopped, the shinobi's eyes rolling back into his head as he fell to the ground.

Anko's eyes were narrow as she watched the sight of it all, but they quickly widened in shock and horror. The snake she had summoned vanished back to where it had come from and the kunoichi's hands clasped around her face. Anko's eyes began to waver between her fingers as she stared at Tamashi's corpse. "I... I... what the hell have I done?"

Orochimaru was suddenly back up on his feet, seemingly no worse for wear despite his fight with Tamashi. He walked over to Anko and gently pulled her hands away from her face, placing his own on her cheek. He looked down at her shaken expression, trying to comfort her. "You finished our mission, my dear Anko."

"I... I killed..."

"Yes," Orochimaru began to reply, "you did indeed. Quite cleverly I might add. You knew no jutsu infused attack could bypass Tamashi's armor, so you summoned a creature and commanded it to do the dirty work yourself. Impressive. I knew I made the right call teaching you alone that skill."

Anko wasn't sure, her emotions in turmoil. She was glad to have saved her teacher's life, but to have killed a man so violently to do so in the process was leaving her an emotional wreck. Her body continued to shake uncontrollably, her thoughts a shambles.

Orochimaru took note of that and moved his right hand away from Anko's face. He reached towards his jonin combat jacket and began to remove something from one of its pockets. "Now then, in honor of your first completed mission," he began to say, withdrawing a necklace from it, "I have a gift for you."

Anko could see the necklace, taking note of how it looked like none other. It was quaint, made of a small rope tied together at the ends by two beads. She wasn't sure what to make of it, but the thought of her teacher giving her a gift began to soothe her mind of the turmoil her actions had brought about to it.

"I know it does not look like much," Orochimaru began to say as he lowered the necklace over Anko's head, allowing it settle around her neck, "but this was a gift Lord Sarutobi gave me upon my first successful mission. Now I, in turn, entrust it to you."

"Lord Sarutobi," Anko's faint happiness completely shattered then, her thoughts once more turning against her. "What will Lord Sarutobi say? What will he think of me? I'm a murderer..."

"I'm sure the Third Hokage, above all else, understands the violence that is a part of a shinobi's life," Orochimaru hissed. "However, if you wish, this can remain our little secret. Perhaps it would be best if the official report states that I killed Tamashi Toketsu to save my darling little students, yes?"

"You... you would do that for me?" Anko asked, her eyes pleading alongside her voice.

"Don't you trust me?" Orochimaru asked. "I am your safety net, after all."

Despite her anxiety, Anko managed to form a faint smile as she looked at her teacher. "Thank you, my lord."

"Think nothing of it. But remember this lesson always, my student. You gained strength this day when faced with my death; strength through adversity."

* * *

><p>Anko Mitarashi closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her tale reaching its end. Despite that, however, her thoughts continued to dwell on the past.<p>

"I was so stupid," she said quietly. She reached up and took hold of the necklace around her neck, Orochimaru's necklace, and stared down at it. "The fact that the truth of it all didn't cross my mind until Orochimaru betrayed me... it sickens me."

"Anko," Kakashi Hatake said gently, "he was your teacher, one you respected, and you were a young genin with her whole life ahead of you. You can't be blamed for not seeing it."

"There wasn't a scratch on him," Anko fumed. "He intentionally let Tamashi defeat him just so I would... would..."

Anko had gone through this before, having spoken with the Third Hokage upon Orochimaru's defection of the Hidden Leaf. That day Hiruzen Sarutobi had learned the truth of what had occurred in the Land of Snow and Anko had come to realize the what Orochimaru had done as well. In the end the Third Hokage had helped her to move forward, but it was just another memory of how Orochimaru had used her in one form or another.

It was a lesson he had taught her, a vile one she could never forget.

"So why would he hide there of all places?" the Sixth Hokage spoke, trying to get Anko to focus on something, anything, else. "What could Yukijigoku possibly offer Orochimaru that none of his other bases could have provided?"

"Solitude I'm sure," Anko answered. "No doubt he must have realized there was a chance that Sasuke Uchiha might tell the Hidden Leaf Village of all his bases of operations."

"Or perhaps it was a message to you, the one who would see the connection," Kakashi said. "He wouldn't have told Kabuto of his future whereabouts for no reason, don't you think?"

"A message for me?" Anko wasn't sure how to take that possibility. "He never gave a damn about me."

"Anko..."

The kunoichi forced the topic to go elshwere. "You don't trust Kabuto either, do you?"

"Naruto does, and I'm willing to put my faith in him," Kakashi explained. "That young man has the power to change this world for the better, one person at a time. I've seen too much to believe otherwise. But still, my brain won't let me forget the past."

"You and me both," Anko replied. "I don't know if I can trust him, but what else can I go by?"

A moment of silence hung between the special jonin and the Hokage, one that Anko finally forced to come to an end.

"So I'm guessing you're going to send Naruto to capture or kill Orochimaru now?"

"No."

That was not the answer Anko had been expecting. "But you said as the Hokage it was your responsibility to stop Orochimaru."

"It is indeed," Kakashi answered. "To not handle the problem immediately would be breaking the rules. And in the ninja world those who do so are scum. It's true, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum."

"But we're no-"

Kakashi cut off Anko with a friendly expression, one even his mask and headband could not hide. "I am the Sixth Hokage and just like everyone else I am sword to protect, you are my friend."

Anko couldn't help but smile despite herself. It was a honest smile, one that was not plagued with evil intentions, one that wouldn't terrify an unsuspecting genin. _He really is worthy to be the Hokage._

"So then," Kakashi began to say, "this is how it s going to work. You can train, grow stronger, and ready yourself to face Orochimaru. I will not order his capture, but I will send Anbu spies to keep watch over the Land of Snow. However, if Orochimaru makes one wrong move I will not hesitate to send Team Seven there with orders to unleash hell upon him before it s too late."

Anko was unable to believe what she was hearing, but still she showed her respect to the man who was making it possible. She bowed at the waist and spoke. "Thank you, Lord Hokage."

"You still just can't get used to calling a Hokage by his first name, can you?"

"No, I-" Anko began to say, flustered once more.

"Don't worry about it," Kakashi interrupted. "So tell me, how can I help you with your training? Do you want free reign to the Forest of Death, or-"

Now it was Anko's turn to cut the man off. "Actually, I have a place I need to go to for this."

"Oh?"

"Kabuto told me of the base he used prior to the war," Anko explained. "He told me so that I could use his abandoned knowledge to grow stronger."

Kakashi's one visible eye narrowed. "You're not planning to turn yourself into a monster like himself and Orochimaru are you?"

"Oh hell no!" Anko exclaimed. She quickly calmed herself in front of the Hokage, blushing in response to her outburst. "No, I've no intent on experimenting on myself. But I'd be a fool if I didn't at least check out whatever information Kabuto had in his possession."

"Fair enough," Kakashi replied, the tone of his voice betraying that he was now at ease.

"There is..." Anko clutched at her right arm, trying to force the words out. "There is one request I do have though."

"Yes?"

"I know it's a lot to ask for, as I'm sure he has more important things to worry about, but... could you ask Naruto Uzumaki if he could accompany me to Kabuto's abandoned base?"

"I will, yes," Kakashi replied, "though I do wonder why you wish for his presence in this matter."

"It's just..." Anko's words began to trail off. "You said it yourself. Naruto's very nature changes people for the better. And now it seems like the world itself is heading towards a brighter future thanks to his ending the war."

Anko could say nothing for the moment and Kakashi let her have the time needed to collect her thoughts.

"To get through this, I think I need his optimism at my side... even if only just for a little while."


	6. Towards the Future

**Disclaimer:** As you can probably imagine I do not own the Naruto series or any of its characters. That pleasure belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Oh sure, I've purchased some manga volumes, a few DVDs and at least one video game spawned from the franchise, but the series itself? Oh no, certainly not mine. You'd know if it were me in charge. There'd be tons more screen time for the likes of Haku, Zabuza and Anko. Oh, and every filler arc and movie would involve Guren.

* * *

><p>"What did we ever do to Kakashi-sensei to deserve this?"<p>

The two remaining members of Team Seven, Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno, were standing by the interior side of the gates of the Hidden Leaf Village. The Sixth Hokage had instructed them to meet up with Anko Mitarashi there so that they could join her on a mission.

Naruto knew that the special jonin had asked specifically for his accompanying her in the search for Kabuto Yakushi's former base of operations and that left him with an uneasy feeling. Despite his leaps in skill and power, the Chunin Exam proctor still scared him to no end.

"Oh, relax already," Sakura said in response to her teammate's concerns. "She's not that bad. But where the heck is she? I thought she always showed up earlier than expected for things..."

"Oh man, that's right!" Naruto began to frantically look around, casting his gaze in every direction possible. "Not again..."

"What are you doing?" Sakura shook her head, placing one hand on her hip as she watched Naruto go into a complete panic. "Seriously, just calm down."

"Oh no!" Naruto replied, looking around up at the surrounding rooftops. "She's gonna just pop up like it s the exams again and freak me the heck out!" Naruto suddenly brought his hand up to his face, remembering a particular moment that had taken place outside the Forest of Death. "Or worse..."

"For goodness' sake," Sakura shook her head, wondering if Kakashi Hatake had made a mistake in allowing Naruto on this mission. _Maybe Lady Anko asked for his presence just to get under his skin..._ The pink haired kunoichi knew why she had been assigned this mission of course. The Sixth Hokage had chosen her due to Sakura's status as a medical ninja in the hopes that she would best be able to decipher any of the documentation that Kabuto, a shinobi of the same class, had left behind. _Though maybe Kakashi-sensei asked me so I could keep the peace with Naruto and Anko as well._

Then Sakura took notice of something peculiar. Resting on top of a barrel by the Hidden Leaf entrance was a series of napkins and on top on those were several dango, the dumplings skewered on a stick as always.

_Clearly Lady Anko has been here, or the village has another dumpling addict on its hands._ Sakura had to wonder, however, why the special jonin would leave her favorite food unintended. _Where could she be? But more importantly... just how good are these dango?_

Against her better judgment, Sakura began to reach towards the dango, curious to see what made Anko Mitarashi so crazy for them.

"I'm sure she won't mind. I'll just pay her back for it."

Naruto's erratic gaze suddenly became settled on Sakura as the kunoichi's hand moved ever closer to the dango. "Sakura, don't touch the creepy snake lady's dumplings! If you eat that it will be the end of all of us!"

"Chill out, Naruto," Sakura replied. "Really, she's not as bad as you thi- eek!"

A series of wooden sticks slammed into the top of the barrel, blocking Sakura's hand from further approaching the dango. The pink haired kunoichi recoiled in shock, her surprise at the sudden 'attack' leaving her stepping back.

"Leggo my dango."

Both Naruto and Sakura slowly turned their gaze towards the sound of the voice and caught sight of Anko Mitarashi walking towards them. The special jonin was finishing up a serving a dango, a stick empty of the food in her left hand.

"Lady Anko?" Sakura whispered, suddenly understanding Naruto's concerns around the woman. "Where were you?"

"Oh, I figured I'd just double back and get one or two more dango," the special jonin replied. "It's all about the dumplings."

"One or two?" Sakura glanced over her shoulder, taking note of the three wooden sticks that had pierced the barrel. "Okay..."

"So," Anko said with a tone of whimsy, "is Team Seven ready for some fun?"

"You went on that mission to the Land of the Sea with her," Sakura whispered into Naruto's ear. "Is she always like this?"

Naruto glanced back at Sakura, answering her question in a low tone. "Oh, we're totally doomed."

"I'm really that bad, huh?"

Anko's words suddenly undercut the whispering of Team Seven, taking hold of the two ninja's attention. The two younger ninja looked at the special jonin, completely surprised by the sullen face she now wore, a far cry from the upbeat, if scary, attitude she had been displaying before.

"No, it's just-" Naruto stammered, unsure of what to say.

"I'm sorry," Anko interrupted as she looked down at the ground.

Now the two members of Team Seven were completely thrown off by the kunoichi's actions.

"Lady Anko, what's the matter?" Sakura asked, trying to understand the root of the problem.

"Scaring the hell out of those under my care," the special jonin quietly said, almost under her breath. "I'm just as bad as he was. Just as bad as he is."

"Orochimaru?" Naruto asked, quickly guessing who Anko was referring to.

"Naruto, don't be so forthcoming," Sakura shot back. "It's rude."

Anko suddenly shook her head and moved over to the barrel where her dango laid waiting. She scooped up the two remaining portions and turned to face Team Seven. "Here. On me."

"Wow, really?" Naruto asked as he took one of the offered dango.

"Well, uh, thanks," Sakura replied as she did the same.

"Think nothing of it," Anko replied, beaming a wide smile. "Now let's get a move on!"

* * *

><p>Time passed and eventually the unlikely trio found themselves working their way through a forest miles from the Hidden Leaf Village, looking for the entrance to a hidden base that Kabuto had spoken of. Anko's eyes were darting around, finally locating what she was looking for.<p>

"There it is," the special jonin said, pointing her finger at a cavern dug into a hillside. The maw of the entrance was exactly as Kabuto had described it, the war criminal having shaped it in the form of a snake's open mouth, stalactites and stalagmites acting as the fangs. "Orochimaru and those like him always did have a flair for the theatrical, even if it was against their better judgment. How the hell did we not spot this place so close to the Hidden Leaf? He was right under our noses..."

Success at hand, the group of shinobi began to approach the cavern, only to be stopped in their tracks when Naruto opened his mouth.

"You sure found that fast enough," he began to say. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised. Granny Tsunade always did say you were one of the Hidden Leaf's best when it came to tracking. So, uh, why did you even ask for me to come along for this mission?"

Anko could hear the utter confusion in the young man's voice, something she was willing to put to rest. "Do you remember what the Sixth Hokage said in his office when we were all together?"

"Well, uh, he did say a lot of stuff," Naruto answered sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, Lady Anko," Sakura added in, "but I think you may need to be more specific for both our sakes."

"I guess I am being a bit too cryptic." Anko couldn't help herself, a low chuckle escaping her throat. "Even the purest paper absorbs ink. The darkness corrupts the light. And that may be true, but..."

Anko suddenly turned to face Naruto and Sakura, the young man in specific. "You're living proof that the opposite holds true as well."

"Huh?" was all Naruto could offer in response.

"Remember Isaribi?" Anko asked the hero of the village.

"Oh yeah!" Naruto exclaimed, a smile adorning his face. "She was so happy when Granny Tsunade healed her body to normal!"

"Yes, Lady Hokage did just that," Anko replied, "but you healed her mind and soul. Just about anyone else who could have accompanied me to the mission in the Land of the Sea would have written Isaribi off as nothing more than an experimental weapon of the enemy. But you... you saved her."

"Well, uh," Naruto said with a blush, unsure of how to process the words of approval from the normally intimidating special jonin, "it was nothing."

"I thought it was a simple coincidence, a happy moment in an otherwise grim series of missions," Anko continued, "but after I learned that Team Seven had ended the Fourth Great Ninja War I read up on all your mission logs. And do you know what I found?"

Sakura had a feeling she knew where this was going, having been a part of those missions, but Naruto remained just a bit too clueless. "What's that?"

Anko cracked a little smile at the young man's naivety. "Haku, Zabuza, Neji, Gaara, Tsunade, Chiyo, Guren, Obito and even Sasuke himself. All of them corrupted by the world we ninja have created, some much worse than the others, but all of them made better people by your words and actions."

Suddenly Naruto's face lost its bashful appearance, becoming drained of life for a moment. "I just wish I could have saved them all before it was too late."

"You did your best," Sakura said as she took hold of Naruto's right hand with both of her own. "Isn't that enough?"

Anko took notice of the moment of contact. Thanks to her research she had read enough to know that the bond of friendship had been strained but never broken, becoming stronger instead. "It's all we can ask for in life," the special jonin finally said, trying to focus on the matter at hand.

"So what's that got to do with you?" Naruto asked, looking into Anko's eyes.

"Maybe I'm just being selfish," was the beginning of her response, "but I'm looking for hope."

"Lady Anko?" Sakura said in confusion. "What are you getting at?"

"You two have helped make the world a better place," Anko said. "You ended the war of wars and freed us all from the shackles of fate. Kaguya's will was guiding this world for the worse, all of us nothing more than puppets on strings. But you, Naruto Uzumaki, cut those strings. Now true peace has a chance."

"Well, I never really thought of it like that," the young man replied, becoming bashful once more. "We were just fighting the bad guy... girl... lady you know?"

"So simple, so pure," Anko said with a grin that quickly faded. "But I don't know if some remnants of the old world have any place in the new one."

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow in response to the special jonin's sudden downturn in emotions.

"I know the reports say that Orochimaru was on our side during the final stages of the war," Anko said softly, "but it could have just been an act of self-preservation. He doesn't care for others. He just uses anyone and anything for his own benefit. But..."

The purple haired kunoichi could not find the words to say, to best articulate her thoughts in regards to the man who had shaped her life for the better or the worse. Instead she forced herself to change the subject, finally getting at the root cause of her erratic thoughts.

"I don't think there's any place for me in the world you've created."

Silence hung over the trio of ninja in the forest, minutes of quiet ensuing. Naruto and Sakura were unsure of how to respond to the special jonin's declaration and Anko was once more finding it hard to grasp what she wanted to say, what she had to say. Eventually she took hold if it and spoke once more.

"I've tried to deny it almost my entire life, but I can't resist my baser instincts. I want to kill Orochimaru. Not for justice, not for the rest of the world, but for myself. And because of that I'm no better than he is."

Anko felt her body begin to shake, her legs giving out on her. She fell to her knees and planted her hands into the grass, trying to steady herself. The special jonin began to breath heavy, her body itself working against her.

"I respected him as my sensei! I wanted to grow up to be a powerful shinobi just like he was! And he used me! I was nothing more than a tool in his eyes! One that he could destroy or discard at a moment's notice! And because of that I... I... I have to make him pay! I have to kill him! The world would have been a better place if we had both died when we last met! I was... so close..."

Naruto and Sakura could hear the special jonin beginning to sob through her breakdown, the two ninja catching sight of errant tears falling to the grass that lay beneath Anko's face. Slowly the two shinobi knelt down by their temporary teammate, Naruto placing a hand on Anko's left shoulder, Sakura the right.

"It's going to be okay," Sakura said, trying to be as compassionate in tone as she possibly could.

Naruto, however, was unsure of what to say. He did not know Anko Mitarashi well, but he had never imagined the Chunin Exam proctor who had put fear into his heart could open up as she was. Slowly, carefully, the young man chose what he would say. "I've heard those words before. They were wrong when he said it and they're wrong now."

"What?" Anko asked, not capable of looking at Naruto, her thoughts working against her as they raced around in a mire of self-loathing and hatred.

"Haku wasn't a broken tool and neither are you," Naruto continued.

"The boy from your first mission?" Anko asked, trying to rein her emotions in.

"I wish he had known that truth when he was alive, I wish Zabuza had realized how he truly felt, but..." Naruto looked at Sakura. "You and Kakashi-sensei said they both found out when Kabuto brought them back for the war."

"Yeah," Sakura answered, a tear slipping down her face.

"I just... wish I could have been there to see them both one last time," Naruto suddenly said, a hint of despair in his own voice. He was then quiet for a moment before turning his attention back to Anko. "Even if Orochimaru thought you were nothing more than a tool that doesn't make it the truth. It just makes him a miserable old fool. Though now that I think about it, he and Zabuza did kind of sound similar..."

"This... is so ridiculous," Anko said with a faint smile as she looked up at Sakura then Naruto, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You two are the students but I'm the one learning from you."

Naruto and Sakura slowly helped Anko up to her feet, the special jonin beginning to compose herself. Anko shook her head, her slight grin fading again.

"Still... I can't forgive him," she said. "And that's the real reason I can't go forward into an era of peace."

The special jonin turned to face Naruto and Sakura once again, lifting the necklace she wore up over her head. She held it out in front of the two, Anko's own eyes gazing upon it.

Naruto suddenly grew skeptical. "Oh no! I've already got one necklace from a crazy old lady! I don't need another one!"

Anko's eyes suddenly narrowed. "Old lady?"

_Of course she doesn't mind being called crazy..._ Sakura sighed and readied herself for the role of the peacemaker.

"Ah, well, that is..." Naruto stammered, at a loss for words thanks to Anko's death glare.

"Oh, snake got your tongue? Anko asked, leaning in close to look Naruto in the eyes. "How precious."

_Probably not the best way to get things back on track, but..._ Sakura took a deep breath and interjected herself into the moment. "So why are you showing us that necklace?"

Anko's mood suddenly shifted again, her face souring. She stepped away from Naruto and stared intently at the necklace. "It was a gift from Orochimaru, one he had received from the Third Hokage himself."

"So he was a nice guy back in the day..." Naruto said quietly, trying to work up the nerve to speak around Anko again.

"He gave it to me because he was proud," Anko continued, her voice beginning to seethe with anger. "He was proud of me because I killed someone when I was backed into a corner! A corner Orochimaru put me in!"

Anko's fist suddenly tightened around the necklace. She raised her arm up, preparing herself to throw the item as far away as possible. It was an action she had taken many times in the past, one that she had never been able to commit herself to. Now was no different. Anko's shaking arm lowered itself once more, the necklace staying with her.

"I should get rid of it, but... I can't. It once belonged to Hiruzen Sarutobi, but also..." Anko breathed deep, trying to overcome her own shaking voice. She turned her gaze back to Naruto once again. "Do you think Orochimaru can be saved?"

"I don't know," the young man replied. "I only met him, what, twice? And all I've got to go on is what I've heard about him. Pervy Sage and Granny Tsunade didn't seem to think he was capable of redemption, but..."

Sakura knew where Naruto was going with his words, even if he was incapable of finishing the sentence. The pink haired kunoichi stepped in to do it for him. "In the end, no one believed Sasuke could be saved from his own hatred, not even me." The young woman reached one of her hands up towards her chest, the palm of her hand resting where her heart was located. Then she looked at Anko with a genuine smile on her face. "But he came back to us because..." Sakura's smile suddenly shifted in the direction of Naruto. "Because one gutsy little ninja kept his promise of a lifetime."

Anko Mitarashi knew it was a 'feel good moment' if there ever was one, but she was incapable of looking at it in such a way. She placed her necklace around her neck once more and spoke. "So you're saying that if the Third Hokage, Lord Jiraiya or Lady Tsunade hadn't given up on Orochimaru, he could have been saved from himself? If I hadn't walked away from him..."

"No, nothing like that!" Sakura replied in earnest, caught off guard by Anko's words. "It's just-"

"Pervy Sage told me he tried to talk to Orochimaru, to give him the chance to stay on the straight and narrow," Naruto suddenly said. "He said it didn't work."

"So not everyone can be healed, huh?" Anko asked, a deep breath of defeat leaving her body.

"I don't know," Naruto said in a tired tone. "Is that what you want to hear?"

Anko suddenly reached out, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "I don't know what I want to hear anymore," she said. "But I do know this, from one student of the Sannin to another... you're going to make a fine Hokage one day, Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto couldn't help but smile as he looked up into the special jonin's brown eyes.

"Now then," Anko said, changing the subject, "let's go check out that cave."

* * *

><p>The trip through the cavern was a long one, but soon enough the unlikely team found themselves in Kabuto's abandoned sanctuary. The power grid was still functioning, light beaming down from the ceiling and casting an eerie glow on everything in sight. There were open books scattered about, no doubt sources of untold jutsu knowledge. Several weapons lay about as well, as if they had been tested and retested, a disturbing amount of dried blood adorning their edges. The place was in complete chaos, a clear sign to Anko that Kabuto had been long since straddling the fine line between genius and insanity.<p>

"Look at this stuff," Sakura gasped, trying to take in the sight of it all.

"Isn't it neat?" Anko sneered, her sarcasm getting the better of her.

"I'd say that Kabuto's collection was nearly complete," Naruto added in, just as overwhelmed as his teammates were.

The three began to make their way through the laboratory of sorts, glancing at everything in sight. What truly got Naruto's attention, however, was a long curtain hanging from the ceiling. "I wonder what's back there." Without a second thought, the young man pulled the curtain to the side. Naruto quickly recoiled from what he found behind it. "Oh no..."

"Naruto?" Sakura asked, running over to join him. "What's wro- what the hell?"

"What's the matter?" Anko asked, stepping over towards her teammates. It didn't take her very long to take notice of the disturbing imagery that had stunned them both. "Kabuto, what the hell were you doing to them?"

The curtain drawn back, Anko and the others were left to stare at large tanks filled with a liquid of some sort, the deceased remains of the Sound Four floating in each of them. Orochimaru's personal guard had been killed in battle long ago, but the Hidden Leaf Village had never been able to retrieve their remains.

Now Naruto, Sakura and Anko knew why. Orochimaru's forces had clearly spirited them away, only so Kabuto could eventually experiment on them.

"It's obscene," Sakura said in revulsion, her hands covering her mouth.

"I can't believe he would have done such a thing to his own allies." Naruto forced his gaze away, unwilling to look at it anymore.

_He was so different back at the Blood Prison, but... it's hard to accept his seeking redemption after seeing this._ Anko reached for the curtain, drawing it over the dead shinobi. "It's about time they get a proper burial. Even if they were enemies of the Hidden Leaf, they deserve that much."

"Kabuto..." Anko caught sight of Naruto gritting his teeth, his fist clenching tightly.

"Calm yourself," Anko said firmly. "I know what you're thinking. That man is a changed one, but that doesn't erase the things he did."

"You're right." Naruto took the special jonin's advice to heart, letting his momentary burst of anger fade away. "But it doesn't make it any easier."

"No, I suppose it never will." While not showing it, Anko was doing the same as Naruto, trying to suppress her disgust at the physical reminder of Kabuto's past. "So let's do what we can for them. Naruto, I want you to head back to the village, inform the Hokage of what we've found and bring back a team to give the Sound Four the dignity of a burial."

"But I thought you wanted me here."

"Oh, I do," Anko replied as cheerfully as possible. "But right now I need you to do this. You're the fastest one here, so you're the man for the job. Sakura and I can examine Kabuto's notes until you return."

"If you say so," Naruto said in response. "I'll be back in a flash! Believe it!"

Then the young man in orange and black was gone, racing out of the cavern, leaving Anko and Sakura to their own devices. The pink haired kunoichi moved over towards a table and cracked open one of Kabuto's journals, her eyes scanning over every written word and diagram.

Anko, meanwhile, didn't move. "You know," she suddenly said, "I've been a bit jealous of you over the last few years, Sakura Haruno."

"Huh?" The member of Team Seven had hardly been expecting to hear such words from a person who had spent so much time projecting the image of an aloof shinobi to the Hidden Leaf Village. "Lady Anko, there's nothing to be jealous of."

"You really think so, huh?" Anko turned to look at Sakura, her brown eyes wavering. "Let's be honest, woman to woman. I made a mistake all those years ago. When I heard that one of the Sannin was taking on a team, just as Lord Jiraiya had, my future squad members were hoping that it would be Lady Tsunade. Me, I was hoping with all my heart and soul that it would be Orochimaru. And I got what I wished for. But you know how that saying goes..."

"Be careful what you wish for," Sakura finished, her eyes trailing away from the special jonin's own. "I know that feeling all too well. Naruto and I both."

"Eh?" Anko wasn't quite sure of what to make from that comment, wondering what event Sakura was referring to, but for now she didn't press the action. "I wished poorly. You were fortunate that Lady Tsunade took you under her wing. Look how far you've come in such a short time. You helped end the Fourth Great Ninja War, while I... You're an exon of history, while I'm nothing more than an intron at best."

"That's hardly-"

"You have loving parents, two trustworthy sensei, a loyal friend who would go the ends of the earth for you... and your faith in a man who fell to the darkness was rewarded in the end. The bonds you've forged are something to cherish. And I..."

"Lady Anko..."

"I'm sorry, I spoke out of turn. Please forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive," Sakura replied, putting the journal down. "I can't imagine what I would do if Lady Tsunade were to use me like Orochimaru did you."

"But you'll never have to worry about that."

"Maybe not, but I still know what it s like to be betrayed by one you love and respect. And in response I was nothing but pathetic."

"You fool," Anko whispered. "You sought out Lady Tsunade's teachings, pushed yourself past your limits and became a shinobi deserving of the world's respect. And in the end you, Naruto and Kakashi brought Sasuke back to his senses. While I..."

Anko lowered her head, the truth of the matter becoming too strong to ignore.

"I was pathetic. All I did was remain stagnate after Orochimaru betrayed me. After I left his side and he fled the Hidden Leaf Village I forced myself past his teachings, ignoring all the disgusting forbidden jutsu I had learned under his tutelage. But that was it. I never honed my more natural skills afterwards. I was willing to remain as I was, a mediocre ninja. I left it up to other to settle things with Orochimaru. The Third Hokage taught me to move forward with my life, but all I was doing was remaining trapped in the moment."

Anko suddenly looked at Sakura, a fierce determination in her eyes.

"But you, Sakura Haruno, are a shinobi worthy of admiration. So this still life as a shinobi ends today! I'm going to become strong... strong enough to face Orochimaru!"

"Hell yeah!" Sakura exclaimed. "That's the spirit, Lady Anko!"

"Still, to do so for revenge or justice... The answer should be so obvious, as you yourself know. You've seen the paths that both Naruto and Sasuke travelled and only one of them was worth the journey. And I... I feel I'm standing on the edge of a kunai, teetering on the brink of both."

"But you said it yourself," Sakura replied. "Sasuke walked a worthless path, one that led him nowhere worth a damn. While Naruto... he's been achieving his dreams one at a time despite the adversity caused by the world. Sasuke broke, while Naruto... he endured as a shinobi."

"I know." Anko walked towards Sakura. She suddenly reached out towards the kunoichi, wrapping her arms around the younger woman. "It's the only way this should go. Thank you."

"Lady Anko?" Sakura gasped as a result of the sudden action. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Heh, guess I'm getting overly emotional in my old age," the older kunoichi replied as she pulled away from Sakura. "My apologies. Now then..."

Anko turned towards the table beside her and Sakura both, opening one of the many journals Kabuto had left behind. As if fate had guided her hand, Anko found herself staring at notes of the greatest importance.

"Well, I'll be damned," she said, her eyes staring intently at the notebook. "What do we have here?"

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked, leaning her face over Anko's shoulder to get a look herself. "Oh, now this could come in handy when you fight Orochimaru."

"Oh, it's more than that," Anko said with a grin. "It's my best shot at victory."

Anko closed the journal, giving one last look around the cavern once more. Her eyes glanced over the bloodied weapons Kabuto had left behind, settling on one particular set.

_Those look like Orochimaru's Kusanagi Blade._ Anko stared at the twin kodachi lying on a table, unsullied unlike all the other discarded weapons. The special jonin remember well that her former master had spent so long making lesser copies of his legendary grass cutting katana. Despite their status as simple copies, the blades were still quite deadly nonetheless. "Those could be quite handy as well."

Anko handed the notebook to Sakura and moved towards the Kusanagi Blades. She took hold of the short swords, eyeing them carefully. For a moment Anko felt a desire to cast the weapons away in disgust thanks to their connection to Orochimaru, but she couldn't do it. She knew the value such weapons would have in the coming battle. However, it was the feeling she felt deep down that left her confused once more.

_I never did get a makeshift Kusanagi Blade when I was his student. But now..._ Anko shook her head, trying to drive the thoughts from her mind. "Whatever. It's about time I better myself and end this once and for all. Then I can finally, truly move forward."


	7. The Hell Buried Within the Snow

**Disclaimer:** As you can probably imagine I do not own the Naruto series or any of its characters. That pleasure belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Oh sure, I've purchased some manga volumes, a few DVDs and at least one video game spawned from the franchise, but the series itself? Oh no, certainly not mine. You'd know if it were me in charge. There'd be tons more screen time for the likes of Haku, Zabuza and Anko. Oh, and every filler arc and movie would involve Guren.

* * *

><p>The Land of Snow was as it had always been during the early parts of the year, a frozen tundra on the outskirts of the known world. The moonlight danced across the snow and ice, casting an eerie glow across the landscape. The pale radiance provided a pathway to those who dared to travel across the treacherous mountain range. Few would dare to do so; fewer still would possess a reason to even consider such a folly.<p>

Four such individuals were currently making their way across the uneven territory, the cold snow drifting around them as it fell from the sky. Naruto Uzumaki was one such traveler, the young man dressed in his trademark orange and black uniform, a tan cloak wrapped around his body to protect him from the elements.

This was not the first time he had travelled to the Land of Snow, but it had been many a year since his first and only visit. "Princess Kazahana said this place would be the Land of Spring most of the year, so why couldn't we have come then?"

By Naruto's side was Sakura Haruno, her traditional ninja gear covered by a similar cloak. She heard her teammate's objections to the cold and she was more than willing to offer an answer. "It's been almost three years since Lady Anko began training for this day. Don't you think she's waited long enough?"

"The first day of spring isn't that far away," Naruto replied as he wrapped his arms around his upper body, "but I get it."

Ahead of two were their elder shinobi, Anko Mitarashi and the Sixth Hokage himself, Kakashi Hatake. The two also wore the cloaks bearing the symbol of the Hidden Leaf, the Hokage having set aside his traditional garb for his combat uniform of old.

Anko, meanwhile, kept her cloak closed at all times, unwilling to subject herself to the cold air. While she had spoken with the three traveling by her side, she had let one topic slide. Now, however, she felt the need to address is.

"Lord Hokage," she began, unwilling to bite her tongue at last, "I do appreciate the company, don't get me wrong, but is it really prudent for you to be leaving the village in the hands of its jonin while you attend to such a mission?"

"Orochimaru is an S-class criminal, one who killed a previous Hokage," Kakashi replied matter-of-factly. "Both the Third and Fifth Hokage attempted to stop him. As their successor I have to see that this finally comes to an end. Justice needs to be done tonight."

"So what you're saying is you and your team will put an end to things if I fail," Anko said with a sly grin. She couldn't argue with the Hokage's plans. She had worked hard for this moment, but the kunoichi knew that history was not in her favor. She also knew that she appreciated the assurance granted by her allies' presence, knowing Orochimaru's threat would end one way or another. "Sounds fair."

Despite her understanding, Anko hoped it would not come down to the likes of Naruto to settle things. It had been three long years since the kunoichi had begun to train for this day, day by day having rolled by at a slow pace. However, to the heart seeking closure, it had felt like it had all passed it the blink of an eye.

The once former special jonin, having at last attained the rank of a true jonin shinobi, finally felt she was as ready as she could be. The possibility to train more, to enhance her skills to another level, had always been a possibility but one thing kept her from that.

It had been a hypothesis on Kabuto Yakushi's part that Orochimaru would need to find a new body to house his soul in three years time, while it had also only been a hypothesis from the Sixth Hokage that Orochimaru's current vessel, infused with the DNA of Hashirama Senju, would last him an undeterminable time. Perhaps the latter was right but Anko had been unwilling to risk it.

So now she was here, in a land overrun with bitter cold, ready to face her past and future at long last. She felt content at that fact, knowing that the opportunity had always been at best a tenuous one. The Sixth Hokage had promised Anko he would not order the forces of the Hidden Leaf Village to capture or kill Orochimaru until she was ready to do it herself, so long as the criminal made no actions of his own. At the time the kunoichi had not been sure how likely that would be, but Orochimaru had remained quiet the past few years, keeping himself holed up and away from the world. Anko had been thankful for the miracle, things working in her favor.

"Are we there yet?" Naruto asked quite suddenly, breaking the jonin from her reflections. "It's freezing!"

"Keep your shirt on, boy," Anko replied. "No, seriously, do that. It's cold and all. Besides, we should be coming up on Yukijigoku soon enough."

Anko couldn't help herself, a genuine smile making its way across her face. The three years had been kind to her, and she in turn had been kind to others. The jonin had once asked Naruto to accompany her on a mission, hoping his optimistic nature would help ease her own pain, but Team Seven's influence had done far more than that.

_Who ever thought I'd grow close to people again?_

It had surprised even Anko herself. Those she trusted either ended up dead or deceiving her, making it near impossible for the woman to find faith in anyone, at least past surface value. However, Team Seven had proven invaluable to her training, and in turn she had grown closer to the group than she had anyone else since the Third Hokage's unfortunate passing. Anko had known full well that Naruto's good nature was simply infectious, but she had fallen into it more than she had expected.

Deep in her heart, even if she was incapable of admitting it, Anko knew there were no other people she would want at her side at this very moment.

"So," Kakashi Hatake suddenly said softly, "that's the place, isn't it?"

Anko's gaze shifted towards the Sixth Hokage's now outstretched arm, following the direction he was referring to. The jonin saw it then, a set of stone doors built into the frozen mountainside. Her memories of the sight of those doors came back to her, the jonin knowing that she had returned to them once more.

"Yes," she answered. "That's Yukijigoku. That's the Hell Buried Within the Snow."

The quartet moved in closer, Anko breathing calmly and deeply as they did so. She refused to lose control of her emotions at such a crucial moment. She watched on as Naruto and Sakura pulled open the double doors, unveiling the pitch black corridor that lay hidden.

_"Anko..."_

The jonin flinched momentarily, the sound of Orochimaru's voice slipping through the cracks of her mind. _Just my thoughts playing tricks on me._ Anko refused to let it get to her. She stared into the dark corridor, catching sight of flames licking at the shade inside. The sight seemed to be welcoming her in, the jonin incapable of ignoring it. _This is what I came here for._

Anko slipped one arm out of her cloak and slowly unbuttoned the fastener around her neck. Slowly she took the garment off, standing now in her long coat and mesh outfit. She gently handed the article of discarded clothing to Naruto.

"Take care of it for me, will you?" she asked.

"Sure."

"As we agreed upon before," the Sixth Hokage interjected, "I will allow you to confront him alone. However, we will be right here."

Anko did not say anything in return, the words another had spoken to her three years ago sifting through her thoughts.

_"A shinobi who goes into battle considering death a possibility has already forfeit their life!"_

Anko understood the meaning behind those words, and while she had no intention of dying, she was still too much of a realist to ignore the possibility.

"If Orochimaru walks out of here and I don't," she replied, "do what you must."

The jonin braced herself, talking one step forward, then another and another. Soon she found herself slipping into the shadows of Yukijigoku, willingly embracing what was to come.

Then, quite suddenly, Anko found her forward momentum stopping. The promoted jonin found herself questioning one last loose thread. In response she slowly turned around to face both Team Seven and the Sixth Hokage. For a moment she said nothing, breathing deeply instead. The jonin watched as the air she had exhaled became visible against the cold environment, her eyes following the trail of condensation.

_If these are last breaths, at least I get to see them for myself._ Taking the thought for what it was worth, Anko held an honest grin, directing it towards both the Sixth Hokage and Team Seven. "Thank you for everything."

Then she was gone, falling into the darkness of Yukijigoku completely.

* * *

><p>Adrift in the shadows a lone figure began to stir. His pale ears perked slightly at the sound of distant footsteps echoing across the labyrinth he called his home.<p>

His attention seized as it was, the man's eye slowly opened, his serpent-like gaze stretching across the abyss. His face cracked open with a grin, an abhorrent tongue escaping from the crevasse and moving across his lips.

"She's here at last."

* * *

><p>Yukijigoku was unfortunately just as Anko had remembered it. The hidden base extended high into the mountainside, its ceiling supported by ornate pillar after ornate pillar. The space was equal parts darkness and light, the torches that lined the wall chasing away the shade as much as possible, casting shadows across the pillars and walls in the process.<p>

_This place still gives me the creeps. Orochimaru must feel right at home here._

The jonin kept moving forward, the future that faced her equal parts compelling and terrifying. Kabuto had provided the trail that had led to this moment, both literally and metaphorically. He had left Anko with a burning question for her old sensei, to find out just what exactly Orochimaru had said when discussing the battle he and Anko had fought in the Forest of Death.

However, that was simply a backdrop to the driving focus of Anko's mission. She had pushed herself past her limits, going far beyond them, simply so that she could be the one to defeat Orochimaru. She knew Naruto could no doubt do it with ease at his current level, but Team Seven and the Sixth Hokage himself had given Anko their blessing to do what she felt she needed to.

_One way or another, it ends tonight. Whether by my hand or Naru-_

Anko's rapid pace suddenly came to an abrupt halt, her thoughts joining it instantly. The jonin took a hesitant step back, having caught sight of something on the floor before her. It was nothing more than a red stain, the mark of a battle long since passed, but it was one that held a special, hated part in the shinobi's heart and soul.

A momentary glimpse of a dead man, one she had killed in self-defense, flashed across Anko's mind. She knew it could not be Tamashi Toketsu's blood, as the red liquid was far too fresh to have been there for years on end. However, it was in the exact spot that the S-rank criminal had perished at her hand.

_Orochimaru must know I'm here,_ Anko mused, unwilling to back down despite the visible remainder of one of her darkest days. _Only that sick bastard would leave his blood as a calling card like this... So much for the element of surprise._

The jonin had entered Yukijigoku on guard already, but now she was truly on edge for an attack. Her target knew she was in his domain and Anko knew that her old teacher would no doubt be keeping a watchful eye on her from the shadows.

"Come out," Anko said, her voice echoing across the large room. "I know you're there, you treacherous snake!"

There was no response for a moment, then another and yet another. Then, as if he had chosen the moment carefully, Orochimaru's voice boomed across the entire complex, his voice seemingly coming from all directions.

"Oh, my dearest Anko... It's been such a long time. Yes, such a long time indeed. To what do I owe the honor of this most unexpected visit?"

Anko's gaze moved from left to right, trying to ascertain Orochimaru's position. All the while she braced herself further for an attack from any unexpected angle. "Drop the chivalry, Orochimaru. You clearly knew I was coming."

"You certainly presume much," the disembodied voice replied. "Whatever makes you think I considered you the one who would eventually come to this place?"

"You bastard," Anko whispered softly before her voice returned to its more blunt nature. "You came here of all places. You knew what it meant to me."

"Whatever are you talking about? Oh, yes... That's right. This is where you first took a life." A slight chuckle surged outwards from the surrounding darkness. "How rude of me then, to come here. No doubt Sasuke Uchiha spoke of all my other Hidden Sound bases. This was simply all that was left to me. My apologies if it dredges up bad memories. It was simply a happy accident at best."

"You just keep telling yourself that." Anko kept her voice low, allowing her former master to continue his taunts. All it did was give the jonin more time to determine his location. "Are you saying this place meant nothing to you?"

"I'm ever so sorry," Orochimaru replied, his voice suddenly growing ever closer. "This place must be very special to you, after all. It was the place where you earned my respect after all. For me, however..."

Anko's eyes went wide as she watched Orochimaru step forth from the darkness, not ten feet from her. He hadn't changed in the least, his dark hair framing his pale features. The man was as he always was, clad in a tan and grey uniform, a distinctive purple rope tied in a knot around his waist.

Not missing a beat, the man brought closure to his sentence. "This place is home to a brief moment of my time, nothing more."

Anko could feel her heart beat increasing, the very sight of the man who had betrayed her igniting emotions she wished to restrain so very much. She had not encountered him for a little over half a decade, this fateful reunion a long time coming. Nonetheless, the jonin was not willing to give the monstrous Sannin the pleasure of knowing how much his appearance and his words were getting under her skin.

"Yeah, it's all just one big coincidence that we'd meet up here," Anko said as she stared into Orochimaru's eyes. "Whatever. It doesn't matter. I told you once before that it's only fitting that I take you down and that's exactly what I intend to do. Right here and right now."

Orochimaru suddenly burst into laughter. "Still you fight for a righteous cause with such bravado. And just how, pray tell, do you intend to fulfill this obligation you've saddled yourself with? When last we fought I ended it with no effort at all."

"Much as it sickens me that I played a part in your resurrection," Anko replied, pulling the collar of her coat to the side and revealing her neck to Orochimaru, "it freed me of your damned Curse Mark. This won't end so easily for you."

"Oh." Orochimaru simply sneered at the sight that Anko had provided for him. "How unfortunate. Still, you say that Sasuke's actions freed you from me, but only in body. Is it not obvious that your soul has drawn you to this place?"

"I suppose so," Anko shot back. "But I will sever the bond between us."

"You really think you have a chance, don't you? Twice the confidence, double the fall." Orochimaru feigned a yawn, then returned his vicious gaze upon Anko. "Though now I suppose I'll have to exert a modicum of effort to put my student back in her place."

"I'm not the shinobi you think I am. Not anymore." Anko's eyes narrowed, returning a vicious stare right back at her former teacher. She whipped back her long coat with both hands, quickly unsheathing the dual kodachi that hung from the back of her belt. She brandished the weapons before her in a reverse grip, giving Orochimaru a solid glimpse of the Kusanagi weapons. "All good things come to she who waits, and I've been waiting and training for this moment for so very long."

"Just as I wished you would."

Anko raised one eyebrow in return, her lashes making contact with her Hidden Leaf headband. She knew she shouldn't have been surprised by Orochimaru's declaration, as she had long suspected that his choice of location could not be a simple coincidence. He'd denied it however, at least until this very moment.

"You'll forgive me for my words earlier," the Sannin said, his face suddenly free from any malevolent emotion. "I simply cannot ignore an opportunity to toy with my prey. But it is true, I was expecting you to come here for the last three years. Ever since I awoke from Madara Uchiha's Infinite Tsukuyomi."

"So this is all a game for you. And Kabuto as well."

"Do not hold a grudge against that poor, deluded boy. He simply wishes for redemption, yet still he could not resist the urge to help me with my goals one last time. Perhaps the fool thought he owed me that much at least."

"So, what, the last three years have all been a part of some twisted scheme of yours? Well, it doesn't matter." Anko gripped her twin blades in a reverse grip tightly, unease settling in her heart and mind despite the sturdy front she was projecting to Orochimaru. "Even if I can't beat you, the moment you walk out of here it will end regardless."

"Ah, yes," Orochimaru replied, one side of his lips curling upwards slightly. "You have much faith in the Nine-Tailed brat, don't you? I suppose that's only fitting. You've always looked up to your superiors, whether it was myself, the Third Hokage and now the man who ended the Fourth Great Ninja War."

"How do you..." Anko's eyes widened slightly at the words of her former teacher.

"How do I know that Team Seven and even the Sixth Hokage are waiting outside you ask?" Orochimaru tilted his head slightly, his gaze continuing to bore down on Anko. He slowly began to walk towards the jonin as he continued to talk. "Because I wished for them to be."

"That's not..." Anko felt her heart sink bit by bit as Orochimaru continued to talk. Her combat stance began to falter little by little with each passing second, her arms falling to her sides, her grip on the makeshift Kusanagi Blades loosening.

"Everything has gone exactly as I had hoped," Orochimaru continued to say as he pressed one hand on Anko's chin and propped her face up so that they were eye to eye once more. "You see, my dear, I've always had my eye on you. No matter how far apart we've been, I've been watching. You could say that you've become my hobby."

Anko's eyes widened further now, her breathing becoming rapid. She felt Orochimaru's touch, but it was his words that were truly leaving her frantic.

"Oh, it's been more difficult to check in on you ever since you lost my mark," the Sannin said, staring deeply at Anko. "You may have abandoned me back in the Land of the Sea, but I was with you always thanks to my final gift for you. Within each seal a portion of my being existed, allowing me to check in on those I deemed worthy of it. I've read your life since we parted ways like an open book. And in the end I have you and your Heaven's Curse Mark to thank for my freedom from Itachi Uchiha's imprisonment. You will always have my eternal gratitude for being my tether to this world."

Anko's soul became infused with sorrow thanks to that statement. She had already blamed herself for the inadvertent role she had played in Orochimaru's return, but to hear it directly from him was too much to handle.

"Still, I knew you all too well at that point," Orochimaru continued to say. "So Curse Mark or not, I knew how you'd react to events, how things would play out. After all... you've been my hobby for so very long. I knew you'd seek me out once you learned of my return, just as you had before. However, I needed you to become stronger. I wanted you to fulfill even a little of the potential I saw in you when I watched your tutelage at the Hidden Leaf's academy."

"What?"

"I've always had my watchful eyes on you," Orochimaru answers, his tongue working around his lips in a clockwise fashion. "Those who are the potential of the future always took hold of my attention, be they true genius prodigy or simply a diamond in the rough."

Anko could say nothing, her mind faltering as Orochimaru continued to speak.

"So how was your master to make you stronger when he could not do so in person? Kabuto was the answer to that conundrum. I knew you'd look to him for information regarding my whereabouts, and he was more than willing to force you to realize you needed to improve yourself before you could come to me. And so you did, so you have. Still, I couldn't have you possibly become too strong. I have already underestimated one too many opponents in my time. I would not make the same mistake with you."

"What are you saying?"

"This body of mine, composed of the First Hokage's genetic information, is quite the worthy vessel for my soul. It has sustained me for so long without adverse effects and will continue to do so for a long time to come. For so long I've sought after a perfect body, but I was a fool to seek out the Uchiha clan solely when the Senju could serve me so well. Yet another single minded mistake of my past that I've moved beyond."

"Then Kabuto..." Anko felt her voice get caught her in her throat, the truth of the matter setting in completely. "He..."

"Yes, he lied to you," Orochimaru said, finishing his former student's sentence for her. "Does that truly surprise you? Despite his foolish need for redemption, Kabuto cannot resist his baser impulses. He is a monster, just as I am. Did Kabuto not tell you of two particular shinobi he resurrected to serve as his army during the war? It's such a shame you were unconscious during the two day battle. You missed your last chance to see your dearly departed parents. Instead all you did was provide Kabuto with the additional power for his forces, allowing them to kill more and more. Is that not proof enough that Kabuto is an individual incapable of peace of heart and soul?"

Anko's mind began to race, images of her mother and father playing out across her mind. Her mother's smiling face, fading into darkness; her father hanging from the rafters of her childhood home. Her demeanor began to crack then, more than ever before, a tear escaping from each of Anko's eyes.

"Ah, humanity remains in you still. Good. I needed you strong, but not too strong. Kabuto provided you with misinformation and, on the lie that I would need a new vessel in three years time, you foolishly gave your training a time limit."

"Damn you," was all Anko could say in return, sweat beginning to slip down the sides of her face and combining with her tears. Her eyes began to narrow in frustration as she looked up at Orochimaru. "Damn him."

"Do not blame Kabuto simply because you were naive enough to trust him," Orochimaru replied. "You only have yourself to blame for falling victim to Naruto Uzumaki's ninja way. However, don't fret yourself to death over it. So many others have. It's... sickening to see someone possessed of such potential let himself wither in the stagnation of peace. Poor Sasuke..."

"He rose past his hatred," Anko gasped out. "He's simply better than you."

"Ah, Anko, your naivety is showing again. A genius he may well be, but the last remaining Uchiha is simply a fool who succumbed to worthless principles, ideals that have no merit in the real world. It was unfortunate, but in your case it was something I was counting on."

Anko already had to wonder if she had failed her mission, but she still felt oddly at ease, knowing it did not matter. "Kill me if you want, but it won't matter. Naruto Uzumaki will defeat you the moment he sees you walking out of here."

"Oh, I don't believe that will be the case regardless of the sad fate that awaits you," Orochimaru shot back with a sadistic grin. "Death will not stop your delectable body from being the only one to walk out of here, my dear."

"What?"

"You and Sasuke are so alike, yet still you possess qualities similar to that boy who houses the Nine-Tailed Fox. I knew with the proper motivation you would seek power for revenge, but you would not fall as far as the Uchiha prodigy did. You would seek help from others, forming bonds with them in the process. Just as you had with the Third Hokage and just as you have with those of Team Seven. I was counting on it."

Anko's mind suddenly came alive with realization as to what Orochimaru had planned. "No..."

"Oh, yes. I'm going to abandon this body and take yours for my own. The latest Hokage and his allies will be none the wiser of the serpent in their midst and when the time comes I will strike. Perhaps it will be today, perhaps a year from now, but I will kill those who the world has proclaimed as its' saviors. Perhaps, if I can wait three years time, I will jump to Naruto's body and use it to exact death upon Sasuke Uchiha."

"You bastard," Anko whispered, the confidence she had entered Yukijigoku with having completely dissipated.

"Oh, I know what you're thinking," Orochimaru said, even though he was far from speaking Anko's mind. "You wonder how I could live with stealing a body such as yours when I've found such a perfect vessel in Zetsu. But you forget, there were many of that foul creature's duplicate bodies littering the landscape. Did you not wonder why none of them could be located by the Allied Shinobi Forces?"

Orochimaru paused for a moment, allowing his protege from the past a moment to comprehend it.

"The spoils of war are mine and mine alone. Madara Uchiha may have temporarily activated the Infinite Tsukuyomi and the Allied Shinobi Forces may have stopped his plans in the end, but I am the Fourth Great Ninja War's true victor. So, once I've done what I need with your corpse, I will simply switch my soul into one of the many lifeless Zetsu bodies I've hidden away here in Yukijigoku."

"But that's..."

"Impossible?" Orochimaru cackled. "Oh no, not at all. Even in death the body of a Zetsu is sustained by the regenerative capabilities of Hashirama Senju's genetic structure. These empty husks continue to function, allowing me to take control without struggle. All my enemies have done is grant me true immortality."

Anko's body began to tremble, realizing what hells she had subjected herself to by falling into Orochimaru's latest scheme. She had hoped to be the one to stop him, but just like in the Forest of Death, she was simply incapable of opposing the traitorous Sannin's plot.

"You will serve me well, my student," Orochimaru said, moving his face closer to Anko's still. "I thought I had given up on being the wind that would sweep across the world, content to watch as Sasuke Uchiha shaped it instead. However, Naruto Uzumaki destroyed that future in one swift battle. So now it falls upon my shoulders to prevent this world from becoming boring, from becoming a motionless windmill. You've already gained the trust of those who are the world's salvation, and I will use those bonds and your body to kill them all. Naruto Uzumaki. Sakura Haruno. Kakashi Hatake. Even Sasuke Uchiha. I will slaughter them all, using their essence to further my desires as needed. The stagnatiion granted by peace will never be an option for this world and all who call it home, not as long as I exist. And it's all thanks to your foolish desire to face me, my dear Anko."

Anko heard his words all too well, Orochimaru's plan twisting her stomach into knots. Still, despite her wavering confidence, Anko knew she could not back down from this situation. She had faced impossible odds before and yet still she had never run.

Her grip tightening completely around her twin Kusanagi Blades, Anko swung her arms inwards, the edges of the weapons tearing across Orochimaru's torso. The twin attacks tore cloth and flesh, drawing blood. The Sannin let go of Anko's chin and leapt back.

"Oh, so you have fight left in you. That's good..." Orochimaru said, his hellish visage never losing its grin.

Anko breathed heavy, slipping once more back into a stance suited for battle. _I took Orochimaru head-on the last time, knowing I had no chance. At best I wanted for us to die together, at worst I hoped to slow him down withmy death. I did neither and in the end the Third Hokage had to sacrifice himself to drive Orochimaru away later. Perhaps if I had swallowed my pride and alerted the Hokage to Orochimaru's presence right from the start things could have ended differently. And then... I did the same against Kabuto. At best I thought I could kill him and aid the Allied Shinobi Forces. At worst I thought I'd die, a simple statistic in battle. Instead he captured me, using me to power up his army. Mom... Dad... I..._

Anko used the one of the sleeves of her coat to wipe away her sweat and tears, glaring at the unnaturally overjoyed Orochimaru. She could see his wounds healing rapidly, a sign of his own regenerative capabilities or of the Zetsu body that was his she did not know.

_Damn my pride. I won't let it risk the world._

Anko knew she had trained for this moment for the past three years, and while she hated the thought of throwing it all away, she knew everything had played out exactly as Orochimaru had wished. The lives of Team Seven and the Sixth Hokage, as well as the world itself, were on the line. Anko simply couldn't allow herself to ignore that in hopes of ending things on her own.

The only course of action she could see was to alert the Kakashi Hatake of what was going on so that he could send reinforcements in and end things before they got worse. Anko grinned, knowing that while Orochimaru had ruined everything she had spent the last three years working towards, she could return the favor with one simple action.

She reached towards the wireless radio that wrapped around the right side of her face, hoping to activate it and get into contact with the Sixth Hokage. However, without warning, a kunai dagger shot past Anko's head, tearing the device away in the process. The attack had been precise, destroying the radio without drawing the faintest bit of blood.

"Oh, we wouldn't want to be interrupted," Orochimaru said, lowering his throwing arm as he spoke. "Everyone is depending on you, Anko dearest. So I suggest you show me the fruits of your training... even if it kills you."


	8. Everything Burns

**Disclaimer:** As you can probably imagine I do not own the Naruto series or any of its characters. That pleasure belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Oh sure, I've purchased some manga volumes, a few DVDs and at least one video game spawned from the franchise, but the series itself? Oh no, certainly not mine. You'd know if it were me in charge. There'd be tons more screen time for the likes of Haku, Zabuza and Anko. Oh, and every filler arc and movie would involve Guren.

* * *

><p>"Attack me as you would an enemy of Team Ten. No, as you would an enemy of the Hidden Leaf Village."<p>

"What?"

It had only been a few short hours since Team Ten had been formed under the tutelage of one of the three Sannin, Orochimaru, and already the shinobi had brought his new students to one of the Hidden Leaf's training grounds.

"Did I not make myself clear? Do not disappoint me as poor Hogo and Juyodenai have."

Anko glanced to her sides, noting the fear and confusion that plagued her fellow teammates' faces. Orochimaru had asked them both to attack him as well, neither having found the will to do so. Anko knew she should have expected the request to be turned on her next, yet still it left her shaken.

"Lord Orochimaru, I just can't."

The Sannin sighed, shaking his head slightly. "And I had such high hopes for you, my dear."

_Lord Orochimaru thinks I have potential?_ The genin knew she couldn't let her teacher down. She slowly reached into her pocket and removed from it three shuriken.

"Yes," Orochimaru whispered, catching sight of the weapons out of his eye. "That's it. Do not hesitate. You cannot truly hurt me, I promise. So then... attack me!"

* * *

><p>Deep in the bowels of Yukijigoku a jonin of the Hidden Leaf Village, Anko Mitarashi, was beginning a battle she had spent three years training in preparation for. The jonin brought her hands together quickly, slipping both Kusanagi Blades into her left hand. She then grabbed a lone shuriken from her coat pocket. The jonin then threw the weapon towards Orochimaru.<p>

"This is your opening move?" Orochimaru asked, his eyes tracking the movement of the single shuriken. "How terribly simp- What?"

Much to the Sannin's utter surprise, the shuriken was suddenly joined by many others, the weapons appearing as if from thin air. Orochimaru looked past them for a moment, taking notice of Anko Mitarashi performing a series of one-handed seals.

"Impressive."

The half dozen shuriken struck home, embedding themselves into the flesh of the Sannin's torso, drawing trace amounts of blood.

"Most impressive indeed, Anko. I haven't seen that jutsu in such a long time. And you performed it with just one free hand. The Third Hokage would be so proud of you."

Anko resumed her fighting stance, holding her kodachi with both hands once more. She kept a watchful on eye Orochimaru, the Sannin slowly pulling the Shadow Clone shuriken from his chest.

"However," the pale man said with not a care in the world, dropping the thrown weapons to the floor, "he could not truly stop me. So how, pray tell, do you intend to do what a Hokage could not?"

"I wouldn't dare to presume I'm anywhere near the Third Hokage's level," Anko replied. "I'm just a simple jonin, the same as you."

"How dare you speak of me in such terms," Orochimaru hissed. "I am more than a mere jonin, more than any man could hope to be. To one such as you I am a god in the flesh!"

"Then I guess I'm just a heretic," Anko shot back, "and proud of it."

Anko dropped down to one knee, plunging the Kusanagi Blades into the stone floor, the weapons embedding themselves thanks to their unnaturally sharp nature. She raised her left arm then, outstretching its hand towards Orochimaru.

"Striking Shadow Snake!"

Twin serpents burst forth from the sleeve of Anko's coat, their strong, muscled bodies stretching as they lunged at Orochimaru himself.

"Child's play." Orochimaru opened his mouth wide, the head of a one of his own snakes escaping from it. The small, green serpent opened its mouth as well, the handle of a sword being produced from its body. The rogue ninja pulled the weapon free from its biological sheath, holding the Kusanagi Blade once more. "I was hoping for so much more from you."

"You'll get it!" Anko screamed, bring her hands together as she did so. Seeing her old master holding his fabled katana once more, the jonin knew he would cut down her summoned snakes without mercy. Unwilling to let the beasts die, Anko released them from their summons, allowing them to return home. Now was the time for Anko to reveal yet another trick up her sleeve. "Fire Style: Fangs of Flame!"

"Oh?" Orochimaru sneered at hearing the jutsu command. "That sounds like a new one..."

A burst of flame came alive in the palm of Anko's right hand and soon it spread out towards Orochimaru, stretching forward to greet him. In but a brief second the flames had reached their destination, taking shape as they did so. From nothing came creation, the fires forming into a serpent's head, one that bore its makeshift fangs at Orochimaru.

"How interesting." Orochimaru would offer up no other words as the flame beast sunk its fangs into the sides of his torso, the searing heat sending waves of pain to his mind. Yet still the Sannin would not give voice to that agony.

"Get over here!" Anko swung her arm to the side, pulling the burning snake and Orochimaru himself in close. The chakra-infused flames then faded away. leaving Orochimaru ti continue coming closer thanks to the momentum that the attack had forced upon him.

Despite any additions to her arsenal of techniques, Anko knew that engaging Orochimaru in a battle of jutsu was a foolhardy tactic. Close combat was all she could hope for, knowing that the Sannin's regeneration was both his greastest strength and weakness. He could take massive amounts of damage and quickly return to battle no worse for wear, but it had horribly influenced his fighting style. From speaking with both Tsunade and Naruto, those who had faced him in battle, Anko knew that her former master rarely if ever considered evasion an option, preferring instead to suffer an attack and regenerate from it.

That, however, was what Anko had been counting on and working towards, particularly by bringing Orochimary in close with her last attack. The moment at hand, Anko tore her Kusanagi Blades from the perchance they had found in the floor and once more held them in a reverse grip. The jonin crossed the blades in front of her, ready for what was to come.

The stance she assumed was just in time, as Anko felt Orochimaru's own blade slam down into her crossed weapons, the defensive posture holding him at bay. The violet haired kunoichi took the moment for what it was worth, pushing up off her knee and standing once more. She followed up the defiant maneuver with yet another, slashing her arms out to the sides. The sudden attack, having shifted from a simple block, parried Orochimaru's katana, pushing it up and away. Yet still the Sannin never lost his grip, his right arm moving in tandem with the weapon.

Knowing she was highly fortunate to have broken Orochimaru's stance, Anko took the moment for all it was worth. She brought her arms in once again, slamming the twin kodachi downwards, as if she were looking to plunge them into the floor once more.

Orochimaru could not help but let loose a sound of utter agony, as it quickly became apparent that the stone flooring of Yukijigoku was not Anko's target. Instead the blades tore through clothing, flesh and bone, the jonin of the Hidden Leaf having targeted her old teacher's legs. She continued to push down until the blades had completely embedded themselves fully into the serpent-like man's legs, the handles sticking out from above his knees.

Anko watched as Orochimaru stumbled for a moment, his legs giving out on him, muscle and bone shredded by the cruel attack. She knew he would heal from it quickly, but the momentary advantage it provided was all she needed to end this fight in an instant. "Fire Style: Celestial Prison!"

The jonin could not help but crack a grin as she saw a glimpse of surprise present itself through Orochimaru's pained eyes. Still, it did not slow her finishing attack in the slightest. Her hand came alive with a faint red glow and Anko slammed its palm into the center of Orochimaru's chest. Instantly red markings spawned forth from the point of impact, wrapping around Orochimaru's torso. Then they faded, slipping through his clothing and etching themselves into the flesh underneath.

It was then that Anko caught the faintest movement of metal in the corner of her eye. Acting upon sheer instinct, the jonin leapt back, leaving Orochimaru's sword to harmlessly slice through the air where she had stood not a moment before.

"Whatever you have done will not stop me," Orochimaru cackled. The Sannin slowly raised an arm, pointing an index finger at Anko. "Striking Shad-"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Orochimaru's eyes suddenly bulged out in pain, his arm falling limp by his side. Anko could see the faint glow of the sealing jutsu she had inflicted upon him, right through his tunic.

"What the hell have you done to me?" the Sannin asked, his voice trembling with rage.

"I didn't come here to die and I didn't come here to kill you. Just like Kabuto, you're going to pay for your crimes over the course of your natural life time. That seal has cut you off from all your jutsu. And, if you hadn't noticed, you're not instantly healing from the attack I just landed on you. You see, that seal is also negating any of the unnatural skills you gave yourself by experimenting on your body. You're nothing more than an ordinary man now."

"How dare you..." Orochimaru hissed, his eyes staring at Anko with an anger that could no longer be contained. "Give me back what is rightfully mine, you worthless woman!"

Anko felt her heart skip a beat, having never been witness to such rage from her former teacher. The jonin had to wonder if the Third Hokage had received a similar reaction when he had done to Orochimaru what she just had.

"You thought you had everything under control, but you couldn't have been farther from the truth. You were right about me, though. Maybe I'm not as dark hearted as Sasuke Uchiha, but no matter much I want to I just can't be as idealistic as Naruto. I took Kabuto's advice to heart, but I never trusted him in full. Power against power, skill versus skill, I knew three years would never be enough time to face you as an equal. So I did what any human should. I sought help from my friends. Well, as close as they come for me."

Anko raised a hand and pointed it directly at Orochimaru, her index finger aimed towards his chest.

"I had to become a true jonin and master the fire style, but you can thank a man called Sosuke Kettei for teaching me that sealing technique."

"The latest master of Hozuki Castle I presume?" Orochimaru replied, his voice displaying an eerie amount of mirth. "He taught it to you, just as the late Mui taught it to him?"

Anko could not help herself, a glimmer of concern slipping into her voice. "You know an awful lot about a jutsu that caught you completely off guard."

"Oh, the jutsu itself did not," Orochiimaru replied with a sly grin despite his situation. "However, the application of it being at your hands... Yes, I suppose that did surprise me."

A moment of silence fell upon both Anko and Orochimaru, one that was slowly ended as a faint laugh escaped the Sannin's lips.

"What's so funny?"

"Lord Mui of Hozuki was a fine shinobi, I will not argue that," Orochimaru began to say, "and while he always wanted to create a jutsu that could force peace upon an individual, the birth of such a technique far exceeded his intellect. That was why he needed help."

"You?"

"Call it a whim, a flight of fancy," Orochimaru continued, "but in my travels after leaving behind the Hidden Leaf, before I came across the Akatsuki, I helped the future warden of the Blood Prison to create this seal. Which means, of course..."

Anko's eyes widened, her heart beat reaching a crescendo. "No..."

Orochimaru smiled as he caught sight of his former student's panic. The Sannin then placed a hand over his chest, the Celestial Prison seal lighting up once more as he began to forcibly access his chakra supply. Flames began to burst around Orochimaru, causing him pain, but he knew that it would not be a concern in just a moment.

"Fire Style: Celestial Pardon."

The sealing marks began to fade, the flames that had enveloped Orochimaru's body disappearing alongside them. Soon the Sannin was free from them both, a wicked grin spreading across his face. Orochimaru reached down and took hold of the twin kodachi embedded in his legs and tore them out with a hiss of pain. As his rapid regeneration began to work its magic upon his damaged limbs, the shinobi wiped the blades across his tunic, freeing them of his blood.

"You thought you could defeat me without seeking my death?" Orochimaru stood once more and casually tossed the twin Kusanagi Blades to Anko.

"That was the general idea," Anko replied, biting back her fear as she caught the weapons in both hands.

"How futile," Orochimaru said, raising an eyebrow in utter confusion at his former student's actions. "You've grown strong in body perhaps, but not in spirit. A true shinobi would face any and all battles as a matter of life and death. Just as you did when last we met face to face."

"A shinobi who goes into battle considering death a possibility has already forfeit their life," Anko spoke, her voice a hushed tone.

"A foolish sentiment," Orochimaru replied. "Has Naruto Uzumaki poisoned your thoughts as badly as he did those of my dear Sasuke?"

"Those were Kabuto's words, not his," Anko said, her voice growing more confident with each spoken word. "I may not be able to fully ascribe to Naruto's beliefs yet, but that boy's ninja way is the future."

"Poor Kabuto," Orochimaru sighed. "Another victim to such foolishness. The child of the Fourth Hokage has taken so much from me I suppose. Oh well. He will die by my hand soon enough." The Sannin's eyes suddenly narrowed. "Oh, my apologies. Naruto Uzumaki will die by your hand, guided by my will of course. I promise I ochestrate the most creative of ends for him."

Anko grit her teeth, her temper at last beginning to come to life. Every bottled up negative emotion that had been bubbling below the surface since she had entered Yukijigoku were beginning to overwhelm her. "Threaten him again and I'll kill you!"

"Yes, that's the spirit." Orochimaru's tongue moved across his lips, a hellish grin forming behind it. "However, you've already shown your trump card, so I shall return the favor. You deserve that much, my child."

Orochimaru clasped the palms of his hands together, shutting his eyes for a moment. Chakra began to form around his body, roiling across his figure. Cracks began to appear in his flesh for a moment, scales beginning to form upon his flesh. That physical transformation was quickly joined by another, four horns beginning to jut out from the sides of Orochimaru's head, slipping between his long hair. The Sannin's mouth then fell open, the corners of it extending back, as if tearing open the lower portion of his face to better match that of a serpent's. Rows of sharpened teeth began to form, the Sannin's upper fangs extending downwards as a forked tongue fell into view.

The changes were a terrifying sight to behold for Anko Mitarashi, but it was when Orochimaru's eyes opened that her blood truly began to run cold. Physically they were no different than before, the Sannin having almost always possessed a snake's trademark vertical pupils, but it was the level of animosity that was emanating from the golden orbs that left Anko feeling nothing but fear.

"You should feel privileged," Orochimaru said, his voice deeper and distorted by his transformed facial structure. "Few have witnessed this form. And you, dearest Anko, are the first to see that which I have longed for."

"Is that..." Anko's eyes widened at the sight of altered Orochimaru, an inkling of what he had become filling her with despair.

* * *

><p>The newly christened chunin, Anko Mitarashi, had initially been overjoyed when Orochimaru had asked her to accompany him to Ryuchi Cave. She had thought it a gift bestowed upon her for completing the Chunin Exams with flying colors, but Hogo Shahei and Juyodenai Hito had done the same and yet they had been left behind. Once both Anko and Orochimaru had left the Hidden Leaf Village, the Sannin had stated that he felt she was the only one he deemed worthy of witnessing his ascension.<p>

Now, however, she was wishing she had not been asked to come. The trip had left her with nothing to do but watch as her lord and master conversed with a serpent he referred to as the White Snake Sage, then meditate on the outskirts of the cavern.

It had been hours since he started, leaving Anko to simply observe as Orochimaru remained kneeling on the rough terrain, his eyes closed. Anko knew what he was attempting, the conversation that had taken place with the sacred sage remaining in her thoughts. Her master was attempting to access a level of power almost unheard of in humans, one that required him to harness the natural energies around him, to fuse it with his own chakra. However, as the minutes passed by, the chunin was beginning to wonder if her sensei was having any success at all.

Waiting as patiently as she could, Anko pulled her mesh covered legs up into her torso, wrapping her arms around them. She continued to watch as her sensei meditated, hoping for his success.

_You can do it, my lord._

Time continued to move by, Orochimaru's meditation never ending as Anko watched, her boredom matched only by her unshaken faith in her sensei's future success. Then, quite suddenly, Anko felt something move beside her. The chunin glanced down and took notice of a snake nestling its head up against her.

"Hey there, little guy," Anko said softly as she placed a hand on the serpent's scaled head. The chunin knew her teammates would have no doubt freaked out in response to the animal's arrival, but she could not help herself. Anko watched as the snake all but purred, its forked tongue slipping out from its mouth. "Awww, aren't you a cutie?

"That stinking little upstart can't manage it, huh?"

Anko's shivered slightly at the sound of the bellowing voice behind her. The snake beside her suddenly took off in a panic, slithering away at high speeds. Anko, meanwhile, slowly turned around, only to finding herself in the shadow of a massive purple serpent.

"Lord Manda?"

Anko had heard her sensei speak of the monstrous snake, one he had formed a contract with, but she had yet to see Orochimaru summon the beast. However, she knew by the snake's size alone that the creature towering over her had to be Manda himself.

"And who the hell are you, pipsqueak?"

_Yeah, this is definitely Lord Manda. Orochimaru did say he had an attitude problem._ Anko knew better than to give voice to her thoughts, knowing that provoking Manda in his home would be an unwise course of action. "I'm Lord Orochimaru's student, Anko Mitarashi."

"A student?" Manda suddenly lowered his head down until it rested on the ground right in front of Anko. The chunin could feel the breath from the serpents nose push against her, but still she kept her cool. "Isn't that just precious? He must think quite highly of you if he brought you to this sacred ground..."

Anko had clearly considered the thought, but to hear it from a being of Manda's standing truly made her realize how fortunate she was.

"To think that youngling could be so sentimental!" Manda suddenly reared back his horned head, his body extending to its full height once more. His massive eyes focused on the meditating Orochimaru. "That's it! He just needs the proper motivation to obtain true power!"

Anko wasn't sure what the great snake was trying to say. "What?"

Manda suddenly opened his mouth wide, his voice echoing across the lands. "Maybe if I just eat his precious student he'll be pissed off enough to get through his training!"

Anko began to panic then and there, her life flashing before her eyes. The purple serpent began to bear down on her, his massive fangs glistening with poisoned saliva.

"Lord Orochimaru!" In desperation Anko called her sensei's name, shutting her eyes befor the inevitable end.

Yet it never came.

"Huh?" Anko opened her eyes, expecting the sight of a vicious snake to be awaiting her. Instead the chunin found a wall before her.

"Damn it!" Manda's voice screamed out from behind it. "What the hell is this crap?"

Anko backed away, taking notice that what stood before her was one of the legendary Rashomon Gates. She watched on as Manda peaked his head around the wall's side, his face bruised on all sides, a clear indication that he had slammed directly into the summoned structure.

"Lord Manda, I wish you would refrain from trying to eat one who is under my care."

Anko turned around and caught sight of Orochimaru, both his hands pressed firmly against the ground, a sign of his summoning the Rashomon Gate.

"You and your damned jutsu!" Manda roared as he began to slither away. "You think you're all that, but you're not!"

Anko could not help herself, her fear of possible death giving way to joy at being saved by her sensei. "Lord Orochimaru, thank you for saving my life."

"Think nothing of it, my dear," the Sannin said as he stood up. He walked over to his student and helped her to her feet as well. "You are, after all, my protege. It's the least I could do."

"I'm so sorry I ended up distracting you from your training."

Orochimaru suddenly grew silent. For a time he said nothing, his gaze averting away from Anko's own. The chunin did not know what to make of it, unable to recall a time when she had seen Orochimaru like this.

Finally, at last, the jonin spoke. "Much as it pains me to admit, I... cannot do this."

"But..." Anko struggled to say. "You're a student of the Third Hokage. One of the legendary Sannin. Even Lord Manda knows better than to mess with you! You can do anything!"

The Sannin let loose a slight chuckle. His right hand descended upon one of Anko's shoulders and he spoke once more. "Oh, someday that will be true. I will learn everything this world has to offer and I will create new knowledge from the old, but this is not a matter of the technique escaping me."

"Huh?"

"I possess the knowledge, I possess the skill, but my body clearly can't handle it." Orochimaru sighed, shaking his head for a moment. "It... vexes me so. Despite his inability to master the skill in full, Jiraiya was able to obtain an imperfect approximation of the Great Toad Sage's strength. Yet I..."

Anko had never seen Orochimaru consumed by such naked emotion, a hint of jealousy at his fellow Sannin's success showing. As his protege, the chunin knew she had to do her best to make him feel better. "Lord Orochimaru, if there's anything I can do to help you obtain this power, I promise I'll do it."

"The sentiment is appreciated, my dear student," the Sannin said as he looked down at Anko with a smile. "I'll keep your willingness in mind."

* * *

><p><em>Is this what he was after that day?<em>

Anko stared intently at the transformed Orochimaru, his already inhuman features having reached a new level. The monster she faced now was staring at her with malice infused in its eyes.

"Ah yes, I did speak of it while Team Ten was under my care," the Sannin continued. "What stands before you now is the Sage Mode of the White Snake. And with my ascension, all your hopes and dreams for the future are no more."


	9. Strength Through Adversity

**Disclaimer:** As you can probably imagine I do not own the Naruto series or any of its characters. That pleasure belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Oh sure, I've purchased some manga volumes, a few DVDs and at least one video game spawned from the franchise, but the series itself? Oh no, certainly not mine. You'd know if it were me in charge. There'd be tons more screen time for the likes of Haku, Zabuza and Anko. Oh, and every filler arc and movie would involve Guren.

* * *

><p>"So then, what will you do now?"<p>

Anko Mitarashi of the Hidden Leaf Village heard the words spoken by Orochimaru, her thoughts hanging on his every word. The Sannin was confident as usual but Anko knew he had every right to be.

Everything was going as he had planned. Before him was a shinobi he had manipulated from afar, allowing her to grow strong enough to serve his needs but not strong enough to oppose him. She would be the ultimate tool in his devastation of world's future, ending any hopes for stability and peace. Worse yet, Orochimaru had already triumphed over the technique that the kunoichi had hoped to finish their fight with.

Now he was simply stronger than before, having clearly obtained the power of Sage Mode, a skill that had remained out of Orochimaru's reach for so long.

Still, despite the unfavorable odds that she was now facing, Anko would not allow herself to fall into complete despair. _There's still that jutsu..._ The jonin bit her lip at the thought of it, knowing that she had wished to avoid such a scenario. It was precisely why she had gone to such great lengths to learn the Celestial Prison technique from Sosuke Kettai, but Orochimaru had shattered that hope in an instant. _He's going to force my hand again, isn't he?_

"Oh, lost in thought are we?" Orochimaru's twisted visage glared at the suddenly silent Anko. "But you started this battle so fearlessly."

Despite her concerns, Anko would not allow herself to remain quiet any longer. "So you finally stole a body that was capable of supporting Sage Mode. Yeah, you should be so proud."

"Thanks to both Madara Uchiha's experimentation on the genetic material of his greatest rival and Kabuto's tinkering with his own flesh, the very same that Sasuke used give me form in this world, I have obtained this power."

"So what the hell happened to that 'strength through adversity' mantra you drilled into my head since the first day we met? Or was that simply just another lie?"

"I do not recall lying to you back then," Orochimaru replied, his body hunching over slightly, as if preparing for battle. "That philosophy applies still. I have simply gained strength through the adversity that others faced."

"That's right," Anko whispered. "To you every living creature is just an experiment waiting to be abused for your own benefit. Even me."

Anko suddenly caught sight of movement on her former master's part, the kunoichi springing into action as well. She brought her twin Kusanagi Blades up, ready for any move Orochimaru would make.

Yet the Sannin simply leapt away, fading into the shadows of the cavern and leaving Anko to stand alone. "All that power you were just bragging about and now you're planning a sneak attack? That's so like you. Whatever. I'm going to end this, one way or the other."

A distorted laugh suddenly echoed across the vast expanse of Yukijigoku, as Orochimaru could not help but display his mirth. "Again I ask, how do you intend to do that? I simply must know."

Anko was unwilling to say, knowing to give away her plan of attack would be a grievous tactical error.

Orochimaru's tone suddenly grew stern, as if he knew exactly what his former student had in mind. "You intend to use one of the forbidden jutsu I taught you, is that it?"

Anko shrugged. "Just because I left you behind, it doesn't mean I could forget the lessons you taught me."

"Oh," Orochimaru said from within the darkness, his voice coming alive with surprise. "So you've recovered the true memory of our parting, have you?"

"Yes," Anko replied. "It was my choice! You didn't abandon me! I chose to walk away from you!"

"And did finding that out that make you feel better?"

Anko suddenly whirled around, Orochimaru's voice soundings as if it had originated from directly behind her. A kodachi blade tore through the darkness, however, as no one was there to wound.

Anko felt a drop of sweat descend down the side of her face, her mind sharpened and completely on edge. "Yes, yes it did. That's why you altered my memory before you left the Land of the Sea, isn't it? You couldn't stand that your student abandoned you, so you turned it on me. You wanted me to suffer from my decision, just as you did."

"You always were perceptive."

Orochimaru's voice appeared to be coming directly above Anko, the kunoichi quickly turning her gaze up the stone pillar that stood beside her. She tossed several kunai into the darkness high above, the weapons embedding themselves into nothing but the stone.

_He's just playing games with me now..._

Orochimaru continued to throw his voice across Yukijigoku. "Did you not wish to become a powerful shinobi? Did you not say to me once that you would do anything in your power to aid me in my ascension to glory?"

Anko heard the questions, knowing what the answer was. "Yes, but you-"

"Despite what its name might imply, the Curse Mark was meant as my blessing to you," Orochimaru interrupted. "It would have granted you the power you desired and taken me one step closer to understanding how to harness Sage Mode."

Anko grew irate at the Sannin's attempt at justifying his actions. "How could you cause your student so much pain? That seal could have killed me!"

"Now who is arguing against 'strength through adversity,' Anko?" Orochimaru asked, this time his voice seemingly coming from beneath Anko. "I knew you were made of sterner stuff. One who I had made my protege could not die so easily."

The kunoichi's gaze moved down, catching sight of Orochimaru's hideously formed face in the stone floor, as if he had become one with it. Anko quickly jumped back, putting distance between Orochimaru and herself.

_I'd almost forgotten about that phasing jutsu of his!_ Fear was beginning to chip away at Anko's mind, but she knew that was no doubt exactly what Orochimaru was going for. The kunoichi glanced over her shoulder with hesitation, her eyes settling on the pillar beside her. She stepped away from it as well, realizing that Orochimaru could appear from anywhere at any time thanks to his technique. "And that's supposed to make me feel better? Your experiment killed nine other people that day!"

"And you let them die in vain!" Orochimaru suddenly appeared from the column Anko was watching, the Sannin moving too fast for her to respond adequately at such close range. The jonin gasped as she felt her former teacher wrap one of his arms around her neck from behind. "They died while you lived, yet you refused to use the Curse Mark after the fact. How could you dishonor their noble sacrifices so callously?"

"How could I use such a twisted power?" Anko said as she struggled to both breathe and free herself from Orochimaru's grasp. Desperate, she spun the short swords around, then brought her arms up quickly. The twin blades plunged into Orochimaru's elbow and weakened his hold.

The kunoichi took the moment for what it was worth, ducking and rolling away from Orochimaru and the pillar his body was stretching out from. Anko gripped her kodachi tightly, once more holding them in a reverse grip. She breathed deeply for a moment, trying to catch her breath, two concerns overtaking her.

_The Kusanagi Blades barely managed to pierce his skin this time. Sage Mode really does increase his physical abilities. Strength, speed, durability. If Orochimaru didn't already, he completely outclasses me now._ The second concern, however, was one that Anko would not allow to plague her. "Don't you dare try to turn your crimes around and put the blame on me! They were your victims! How the hell could you expect me to ever use a power that cost people their lives?"

"Do you feel that makes you a good person?" Orochimaru asked, his body still protruding from the pillar from the waist-up. "Even your precious Naruto Uzumaki utilizes the chakra of the Nine-Tailed Fox, a power that cost the lives of both his parents. To do otherwise would disrespect their deaths."

"You..."

"But you refused the gifts I gave you. So many forbidden jutsu at your disposal, knowledge so few knew, yet you continued to play at being a warrior of justice, yes?" Orochimaru's monstrous face suddenly became enraged. "Then, when you finally allowed yourself to accept my teachings, you tried to turn it against me! That was the thanks I received from my first student!"

Anko flinched, having never expected to hear her old sensei speak as he was. "What?"

Orochimaru suddenly phased back into the pillar, disappearing from sight. When next he spoke, Anko could hear him from above once more. The kunoichi turned her gaze in that direction, catching sight of Orochimaru's body descending from the ceiling.

"Our first reunion in years," he hissed, "and you tried to kill us both with the skill I taught you."

"You had it coming," Anko shot back. "And if I had succeeded, the world would be a better place!"

"You're breaking my heart," Orochimaru replied. "Allow me to return the favor."

The Sannin's body completely detached from the ceiling of Yukijigoku, descending upon Anko at a rapidly increasing speed. The jonin of the Hidden Leaf watched as he approached, knowing that a simple retreat would not grant her freedom from the attack. Anko knew it would take a little bit more work on her part to accomplish that task.

"Fire Style: Crimson Bound!"

The hand seals complete, Anko leaned her body back just as she felt heat suddenly build up beneath her. Bursts of flame came alive beneath the soles of her feet, the sudden force propelling her away from her location at incredible speed.

"How interesting," Orochimaru said as his empowered fist drove into the stone flooring, sending cracks throughout the surface. The Sannin stood up once more, brandishing the true Kusanagi Blade with his other hand. "Insane, but interesting. That jutsu truly suits you, Anko."

"You're one to talk about insanity," Anko replied as she landed on her feet, stumbling for purchase for a moment. Despite her words, however, the jonin knew she could not completely argue against her old master's statement. The Crimson Bound was an unpredictable jutsu, as there was no telling how far it could send her, or how rough the landing could be. Still, Anko knew it was preferable over receiving a strike that could damage stone itself.

"Perhaps it is a case of the pot calling the kettle black," Orochimaru continued, his eyes gazing at Anko once more. "In any event, despite all your talk about not throwing your life away, I assume you realize that a certain forbidden jutsu is your only hope of defeating me regardless of your own fate."

Anko said nothing at all, still unwilling to give Orochimaru the satisfaction of knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt what she was planning.

"I'll take your silence as a yes," Orochimaru hissed. "Well then, let us see your resolve."

The Sannin took off at Anko once more, his katana at the ready. The kunoichi readied her kodachi in response, prepared to intercept the blatant attack.

Then, without warning, Orochimaru's Kusanagi Blade cut through both of Anko's own. The broken blades of the twin kodachi fell to the floor, Orochimaru's unaffected blade pulling back as he watched in delight at the spectacle.

"What?" Anko's eyes widened as she stared at the broken weapons she now held, the Kusanagi Blades she had put so much faith in damaged beyond repair. "It's not..."

"Do not be so surprised, my dear," Orochimaru said as he stepped back and smiled in response to his former student's shock. "Kusanagi against Kusanagi is a contest pitting the ultimate offense against the ultimate defense. And when two equal powers collide, no true victor can be determined. However, thanks to Sage Mode I can destroy your blades with relative ease."

_He can put more momentum and force behind his strikes._ Anko's eyes narrowed in response to the thought, truly understanding the fight she had on her hands. _I can't fight him in a contest of jutsu, and now close combat is no longer an option._ Still, the jonin knew she had one last jutsu to play, one that could end this fight as fast as she had hoped the Celestial Prison would have. Yet she was loathe to use it. _There has to be another way for the both of us to leave here alive._

Anko knew the only answer remaining, one she was more than willing to strive for. She had given this battle a chance, but she was willing to accept that another would have to finish it. With that in mind, Anko turned her back on Orochimaru and began to run, her eyes staring at the hallway that would lead her out of Yukijigoku.

"Leaving so soon?" Orochimaru could not help but sigh in response to his opponent's sudden retreat. The Sannin slammed his Kusanagi Blade into the ground, embedding the weapon in an upright position. He knew he no longer needed it, the power of Sage Mode more than enough to deal with Anko. He gave chase, a grin coming over his face. "Oh, I get it now. You wish for Team Seven to finish this battle, hmm?"

Anko glanced over shoulder, watching as Orochimaru faded into the darkness as she continued to put distance between them. _That's right, just be as overconfident as always so that Naruto and the others can end this._

Then, without warning, Orochimaru began to move. His strides took him far and fast, his leg strength and speed enhanced to unimaginable heights by Sage Mode. "I told you before, my Anko, that this is our fight to finish. None shall interfere!"

Anko felt fear seize her heart as her former sensei closed the distance in so little time. Then pain overcame Anko, Orochimaru's fangs piercing her left shoulder. She stopped her escape attempt then, her mouth falling open in a scream of agony.

"Yes, that's right," Orochimaru cackled as he sunk his fangs in deeper, making contact with bone. "That's the sound I want to hear. A prelude to the agony that will soon consume this world once again..."

Her body shaking with pain, Anko reached into her coat pocket with her right hand. She took hold of one of the tags inside, withdrawing it quickly. Then, in one swift motion, she swung the ninja accessory over her shoulder, slamming it against Orochimaru's forehead.

"Now!" Anko pointed her index and middle fingers at the tag, activating the explosive that was a part of it. She suddenly felt the concussive force burst outwards over her shoulder, but it was a relief compared to the agony that Orochimaru had caused.

The Sannin, meanwhile, simply cried out in pain as the explosion engulfed his forehead, forcing him to retract his fangs from Anko's body. The rogue shinobi fell back, blood beginning to slip down his face even as his regeneration began to repair the damage the explosive tag had done.

Anko continued to run once more, uninterested in seeing what she had done. Escape to the outside was her only objective now, and she had to hope the surprise attack had bought her enough time. She clutched at her wounded shoulder, blood beginning to leak out and stain both her mesh gear and coat.

"I commend your resiliency," Orochimaru laughed as he lunged for her once more, this time in a way unique to him and him alone. The Sannin's neck extended outwards, his genetic modifications coming into play. He began to laugh as his head closed the distance, his fangs extending as they reached for Anko's wound. "But it will not sa-"

"Shut the hell up!" Anko whirled around to greet the second attack, the jonin ready for it this time. She shoved her bloodied right hand into the Sannin's mouth, then quickly retracted it. She aimed two fingers at his face, sending the chakra infused command out once more.

In response, the dozen explosive tags that now lay inside Orochimaru's mouth activated, the force and flames brought about by their detonation engulfing his entire head. Anko turned away again, unwilling to look upon the gory sight, knowing she still had her escape to attend to.

"So close!" Anko could see the doorway to the myriad number of halls to the outside world in sight. She leaned forward and activated a jutsu, determined to obtain freedom. "Fire Style: Crimson Bound!" The fires burst forth from the soles of her feet once more, propelling Anko forward at amazing speed. "Now it en- No!"

Anko watched on in horror as a series of trees suddenly burst forth from the floor, tearing the stone to pieces as they arose. Quickly the massive wooden forms blocked off the exit of the room, leaving Anko with the realization that not only was escape impossibility, she was going to hit the solid trees with painful force.

"Striking Shadow Snake!"

A series of serpents extended out of Anko's sleeves, their teeth digging into one of the newly created branches. The Hidden Leaf jonin used the purchase she had gained to shift her momentum, swinging around until at last she landed on her feet, looking towards Orochimaru again.

The Sannin's head had returned in place his shoulders, his neck back to its original length. Anko then took notice of Orochimaru's hands, both of them clasped together. Worse still, save for the faint marks of blood that adorned his face, the Sannin was no worse for wear. "Another long sought gift this new body grants me," he said. "The venerable Wood Style of the late, great Hashirama Senju is mine."

"Damn it." Anko knew that even if her twin Kusanagi Blades had not been lost to her, they would not have possessed the means to properly cut down such trees, at least not in an expedient fashion. The kunoichi knew that she would instead have to rely on her own innate strength to obtain her freedom. Anko turned against the newly formed trees, bringing her right hand up towards her mouth as she did so. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

A massive orb of flame burst forth from between Anko's lips, smashing into the bark of the assembled trees with such force that Yukijigoku shook violently. The shinobi of the Hidden Leaf watched as the flames began to dissipate, longing for the sight of a hole having been burned through the barrier.

Instead all she found herself staring at was the surface of the trees charred, nothing more. Then she was left to hear Orochimaru's pleased cackle at the failed attempt at freedom.

"You foolish little cub! The First Hokage was the greatest opponent the Uchiha clan ever encountered. Did you really think a jutsu that was created by that family could compare to one of his own?"

"All right, fine!" Anko turned his attention back towards Orochimaru, a glint in her eyes not unlike one he would show an enemy to bring about a moment of fear. The kunoichi began to display a savage grin as well, as if Orochimaru's own bloodlust was beginning to have an influence on her. The shinobi had hoped to escape, to find aid on the surface of the Land of Snow, but now it was truly clear that Orochimaru would not allow that to happen. Anko knew she would simply have to face this fight she had started. Then let's see how you handle it!"

Anko's right arm shot up suddenly, the ambient light of Yukijigoku reflecting off a thin wire that quickly shot through the air. It moved fast, wrapping around Orochimaru's head. The Sannin, however, was not the least bit bothered by the sensation. "How quaint."

Anko brought her right hand up towards her mouth once again, the other end of the cable gripped tightly between her fingers. "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"

Flames once again burst forth from Anko's mouth, though in a different form than earlier. The fire travelled down the length of the wire, growing in size as it approached Orochimaru. Then it was upon him, the traitorous Sannin's face becoming engulfed in the searing heat.

_It's time I finished this!_ At her wits end, her soul demanding she end this conflict at last, Anko took the moment for all it was worth. She lunged at Orochimaru, the Crimson Bound jutsu sending her sailing forward at unimaginable speed. The kunoichi braced herself for the next attack, knowing it would be the last. She reached out towards Orochimaru with her right hand, knowing it would all be over after it had formed the necessary signs.

However, deep within her heart, the Hidden Leaf ninja felt hesitation. The emotion clawed its way to the surface, overcoming the momentary bout of despair driven bloodlust that had consumed Anko. Landing on her feet before the momentarily distracted Orochimaru, Anko's hand halted its momentum, shaking as it hovered near the Sannin.

"Why the hesitation?" Orochimaru asked as he tore the burning wire off his face with one bare hand, the smoldering scars regenerating in mere moments. "We both know what you were planning, don't we? Here, allow me to make it easier for you!"

Orochimaru roughly took hold of Anko's quivering hand, their palms pressing against one and another. The kunoichi gasped in response to the sudden skin-to-skin contact, the abrupt nature of it shaking Anko to her core.

"Go ahead then," Orochimaru hissed, "use the Twin Snake Sacrifice Jutsu! Use the forbidden skills I taught you against me once more! Betray me as you did when last we met!"

Anko felt her blood run cold at her former teacher's command, completely shaken by his words. "No," she whispered faintly as she began to try and pull her hand away from Orochimaru's own. However, the Sannin held tight, his Sage Mode enhanced strength giving her no freedom. In response, Anko began to go into a desperate panic. "No!"

"So sad." Orochimaru's face was suddenly overcome by a frown, one directed at his former protege's reaction. "You were so full of confidence when we first met, when we last met. And for a fleeting moment I just saw a glimpse of the Anko I practically raised. What cowers before me now, however, is so disappointing. What has that Naruto boy and his friends done to yo-"

Orochimaru's voice was cut off, Anko's left foot slamming into his chin. The sole of the kunoichi's footwear forced the Sannin's head to move back a bit, Anko's sudden momentum forcing her body into a backflip, her hand finally slipping free from Orochimaru's own.

_I've got to get some distance!_ Anko landed in a crouch before vaulting back further. However, as the kunoichi did so, she felt tremendous pain spread across the lower portion of her leg. Anko landed on her feet once more, gasping slightly as she felt that very same leg give out on her for a moment. She knew then and there that while she had escaped Orochimaru's grasp, she had paid the price of a broken ankle to do it. _Damn his hide!_

"That's the Anko I know," Orochimaru said as his head lowered back into its forward facing position, a grin once more spreading across his snake-like mouth. "Struggle until the bitter end. Only then will my inevitable conquest be all the sweeter. Oh yes... a snake can only enjoy its meal if the cornered mouse puts up a futile fight."

_How could I hesitate like that?_ Anko knew she had been so close, but her fears had let the opportunity slip through her fingers. _It's the only way this can end..._

"Though perhaps you need a little more motivation to do what you feel you must," Orochimaru continued. "Yes, perhaps a dose of nostalgia will give you the incentive to fight as recklessly as I remember."

Once more Orochimaru brought his hands together, his fingers working through a series of signs.

"Secret Earth Jutsu: Deep Forest Creation!"

Once more the vast cavern that was Yukijigoku began to come alive. Branches began to form, tearing through concrete and stone, trees forming amid the pillars. Anko Mitarashi felt the floor beneath her give way, one particular branch appearing beneath her feet as if from thin air. The wooden beam rose then, bringing Anko high above from where she had been standing only seconds before.

"Damn it." Anko ducked down to better keep her balance, the pain in her left ankle working against her. _Maybe it would have been wise to ask Sakura to accompany me. Medical jutsu would prove handy right about now. Not to mention her monster strength..._

The Hidden Leaf kunoichi watched on as the Yukijigoku of her memories became nothin6g more than a forest of Orochimaru's creation. However, it was not simply a forest, but one in particular. Anko began to take in the finer details, a slight gasp escaping her mouth.

"Ah, you noticed, yes?" Orochimaru asked from afar as he leaned against a tree of his making. "It's accurate, right down to the vegetation, to the very patterns in the bark."

"You're always been a meticulous bastard." Anko forced herself to stand once more, knowing she had to face this moment on her feet like a true shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village.

"You recognize it, don't you?" Orochimaru asked. "This may well be nothing more than a cheap copy, but it will become a true forest of death soon enough."

"There's no hope for us," Anko began to ask as she steadied herself against a nearby tree, "is there?"

"My dear, sweet child, there's no hope for this world."

Anko Mitarashi began to assess the situation, trying to determine what she had left to offer this fight. She had already suffered two wounds, one that was leaving it more difficult to walk on her left leg, the other having impaired the movement and function of her left arm. At the very least, the kunoichi could take solace that her chakra levels were holding up well. However, her ninja tools were not what they should have been. While she had only used one shuriken and handfuls each of kunai and explosive tags, the loss of the twin Kusanagi Blades she had procured from Kabuto's base was a major concern. Anko had spent so long training in a fighting style befitting such armament, but they had taken from her too soon, all but rendering that time worthless for the moment.

_I was counting on the Celestial Prison to end this without much of a fight, but that course of action is lost to me._ Anko bit her lower lip, knowing what she had to do. It had tore at her thoughts again and again since the fire seal had been broken, but Anko knew it was truly the only way she could end this battle now. _It's all he's left me._

"Let's begin!" Orochimaru suddenly leapt towards Anko, his left arm extending towards her.

"No, let's end it," Anko whispered before pulling kunai daggers out from her coat pockets, brandishing them as she had the kodachi. She brought one kunai up, running her tongue over it, a ritual she had long since adopted as an attempt to psyche herself up for a fight.

The kunoichi began to prep a jutsu of her own, one she hoped would completely catch her former teacher completely off guard.

"Earth Style: Stone Plate Coffin!"

The natural stone floor of Yukijigoku burst forth from below upon Anko's chakra command, rising to meet Orochimaru in midair. The stone material quickly ensnared the Sannin's body, pinning his right arm to his body as it spread across his torso and put a halt to his momentum instantly.

Despite that, however, Anko gasped as the man's pale left hand stopped mere inches away from her face. _That was too close!_

"Ah, so you began to master another elemental style since last we met," Orochimaru said with apparent joy. "I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised. Harnessing two elemental powers is a practically a necessity for a ninja of a jonin rank is it not? I don't recall, as by the time I was your age I had mastered them all..."

Anko ignored the Sannin's words, knowing that they were most likely meant to irritate her. Instead she took a breath, staring at Orochimaru's palm, knowing she had him trapped for the moment. It was all she needed to end things once and for all, her conviction running strong now.

_What?_

Anko suddenly caught a glimpse of the fingers on Orochimaru's free hand, mere inches before her, twitching. Realizing it was not a good sign, the kunoichi dodged to the side just as the blade of Orochimaru's sword, a faint blue glow emanating from it, tore out of the palm of his hand. As the weapon pierced flesh and bone, blood sprayed through the space Anko had just occupied.

Her instincts and reflexes getting her only so far, the kunoichi cried out in pain. Despite her dodging at the last moment, the edge of the sword had nicked the side of her face. A shallow cut opened on her cheek, blood oozing from it.

"Oh, you really have improved," Orochimaru laughed, the guard and handle of the true Kusanagi Blade pressing against the back of his hand. "I can't even begin to recall the exact number of shinobi who died to that little trick."

Anko watched as Orochimaru's index and middle fingers twitched again, the Kusanagi Blade backing away, allowing his hand to heal once again. The weapon hovered in the air for a moment, then slashed out at Anko.

The Hidden Leaf ninja leapt away, the katana simply slicing through the branch she had been standing on. The detached husk of wood fell to the floor of Yukijigoku then, the Kusanagi Blade flying back up to greet its master.

However, Orochimaru did not take hold of his katana. Instead he directed the Kusanagi Blade to pierce a nearby tree, moving his free hand towards the rock that imprisoned his body. He dug his fingers into the stone, all the while the rest of his body tensed up. Utilizing the enhanced strength of Sage Mode, the Sannin shattered the monument that encased him, tearing it off in the process.

"No prison can hold me," Orochimaru cackled as he leapt from the remnants of the stone jutsu and to another tree branch. "But you already have come to realize that, yes?"

"Yes," was all Anko would say in return, "I have."

Orochimaru raised his right arm, extending his fingers towards his discarded weapon. With but a flick of his fingers the Kusanagi Blade came to life once more with eerie blue light, the katana returning to its his hand.

"You and this blade are quite similar," the Sannin said with a sly smirk. "No matter what oceans of time or space separate us, you both always return to your lord's side."

"You're not my lord," Anko replied, her eyes narrowing with anger. "I'd sooner die than serve you."

"Oh." Orochimaru could not hold back a slight laugh. "But such an event would ruin the future I have envisioned, so that just won't do."

Orochimaru and his weapon began to fade, their forms becoming one with the tree beside him. The sight of it left Anko tensing up, knowing he could appear from any angle, to attack her at a moment's notice.

Then, just as she was predicting, the Sannin burst forth from the tree beside her. His Sage Mode enhanced speed gave him the advantage once more, especially at such close range. The Sannin's body collided with Anko's own, sending the purple haired kunoichi into a fall. Her back hit the branch beneath her hard, Orochimaru's left hand gripping tightly around her neck.

"It's over, Anko Mitarashi!" Orochimaru hissed as he dragged Anko up and away from the branch, holding her so that her feet no longer made contact with it.

Anko could see that Orochimaru was lowering his Kusanagi Blade, the kunoichi knowing full well why. He had no intention of killing her. He simply wanted to perform the jutsu that would kill her spirit and take her body for his own.

For but a moment Anko let her mind focus on that fact, knowing full well what the Sannin intended to do once he had slipped among the ranks of Hidden Leaf shinobi. The kunoichi knew that no matter the cost she could not let that happen.

Summoning up whatever strength she had left, Anko slammed her right hand into Orochimaru's chest. "Fire Style: Celestial Prison!"

Just as it had once before, the markings of the jutsu appeared upon Orochimaru's torso, blazing with power as they did so.

"You know that won't stop me for long," the Sannin smugly replied, his confidence unwavering. "You're only prolonging the inevitable."

"Oh?" Anko replied, smiling herself. "Is that what you think I was going for?"

Anko watched as the intended effect she had been going for began to take place. His chakra disrupted, as well as his genetic abilities nullified, Orochimaru could not maintain Sage Mode. His hideous features began to return to their original form, his enhanced physical prowess becoming what it was before.

The vice-like grip around her throat lessening, Anko gripped on to Orochimaru's hand, pulling herself free. She landed in a crouching position, grimacing slightly as her wounded leg made contact with the branch below. She fought past the pain, however, and swept out with her good leg, knocking Orochimaru off his feet.

"How clever," the Sannin said without a care in the word. "So you've disrupted my Sage Mode... for the moment. Fire Style: Celestial Pardon!"

Anko heard those words, knowing Orochimaru was instantly freeing himself of her sealing jutsu once more. She didn't care, however. She had broken his Sage Mode and returning to that form would not be as instantly done as the simple seal reversal had been. Orochimaru would have to have a moment to gather his chakra, to fuse it with the natural energy around him, and that was something Anko would never allow him the chance to do again.

"No you don't!" Anko watched as Orochimaru made it back up to his feet, the Sannin closing his eyes. He was already preparing to enter Sage Mode again.

"I don't need this power to force submission upon you," Orochimaru began to say as he concentrated on achieving his full power once more, "but as my former student, you deserve to be defeated by my very best."

"I'll pass, thank you very much!" Anko performed a quick series of hand signs, then threw both her arms forward. "Fire Style: Fangs of Flame!"

Once more Anko utilized the jutsu of her own making, this time for both her hands. Fiery serpents came to life just as one had earlier. This time, however, the twin snakes came together, a lone beast of massive size forming. The serpent of flames shot forth at Orochimaru, leaving the Sannin no choice but to defend himself.

"Persistent to the very end, eh?" Orochimaru's attempt at reactivating Sage Mode came to an abrupt end as the flames consumed him quite literally, the artificial serpent swallowing the Sannin. Despite his constant healing, Orochimaru found his concentration shattered thanks to the rush of pain. Ultimate power was out of his grasp, but the legendary shinobi was not defenseless.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

Born from his immense chakra reserves, water began to form around Orochimaru, extinguishing the flames that surrounded him. The liquid began to take shape, taking the form of a dragon. Anko's flame serpent began to dissipate as, falling into pieces as the water jutsu came to fruition in its center.

"A dragon always conquers a mere snake," Orochimaru cackled. "Is it any wonder why you wish to prevent my obtaining Sage Mode once more?"

Anko's attack was no more, Orochimaru ready and willing to press his advantage. His water dragon lunged for Anko, ready to attack. The Hidden Leaf kunoichi, however, was just as ready to defend herself.

"Earth Style: Mud Wall!"

The jutsu began to convert a portion of the chakra within Anko's body into earth material. The kunoichi grimaced a bit, never having been found of the jutsu, but still she put it to good use. She spat out the mad that had formed, the material quickly rising up into the form of a wall. The barrier was formed just in time, the water dragon harmlessly slamming into the wall and coming apart in a simple splash.

However, it was nothing more than a feint, a clear distraction as Anko quickly took notice of. Orochimaru was leaping over the wall then, holding the Kusanagi Blade in both his hands. The Sannin landed before Anko, jabbing the katana into Anko's shoulder wound. As Anko screamed in pain, the Sannin pushed her forward, stopping only when Anko's back came into contact with the side of a tree. The Kusanagi Blade embedded itself into the wood, pinning the Hidden Leaf kunoichi to it.

"Now then," Orochimaru said with a content sigh, "it's time I take that lovely body of yours."

Anko's pained expression suddenly faded, being replaced by a smirk. Then, without warning, Anko's began to change, to shift. Her body began to melt, taking on the appearance and coloration of mud. The shadow clone fell apart completely, leaving Orochimaru to realize he had been fooled.

"That's right." Anko said as she stepped into focus behind her former master. "Substitution."

Taking the moment for all it was worth, Anko gripped down on Orochimaru's shoulder, forcing him to turn around. She pinned the Sannin's back against the proverbial wall, then prepared herself for what was to come.

_No more doubt. No more hesitation. It ends. Now._ Anko began to draw upon her chakra, ready to perform one last jutsu this night. "Ninja Art..."


	10. Shed

**Disclaimer**: As you can probably imagine I do not own the Naruto series or any of its characters. That pleasure belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Oh sure, I've purchased some manga volumes, a few DVDs and at least one video game spawned from the franchise, but the series itself? Oh no, certainly not mine. You'd know if it were me in charge. There'd be tons more screen time for the likes of Haku, Zabuza and Anko. Oh, and every filler arc and movie would involve Guren.

* * *

><p>"Lady Anko, are you all right?"<p>

Anko Mitarashi heard the words, but they were lost to her. The newly christened jonin of the Hidden Leaf Village was simply transfixed by the chakra that hovered in the palm of her hand. To make one's chakra so dense as to be visible was a feat in of itself, but the darkened shade that it had shifted to was what truly left the kunoichi shaken.

"Lady Anko?"

The shinobi heard her name spoken once again, this time letting it release her from her single-minded gaze. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I'm fine."

The two kunoichi were currently alone in a building on the outskirts of the Hidden Leaf Village, one that had been constructed with the sole intention of allowing shinobi to research and experiment on the jutsu in their possession. It had been a year and a half since Anko had begun to train for her showdown with Orochimaru, but simply honing her present skills and learning new ones was not all she had hoped to achieve.

She had advanced in rank, having mastered one elemental style and dabbling in another, but she had also begun to perform tremendous research, putting Kabuto Yakushi's data, notes and documentation to good use. Sakura Haruno, having become the greatest medical ninja of her generation of the Hidden Leaf, had proven instrumental in that effort. The two of them had poured over every facet, every detail, that Kabuto had on record in regards to Orochimaru's genetic experimentation, from his offensive capabilities to his increased ability to regenerate.

Now the fruit of their exhaustive labor was in the palm of Anko's hand. The mass of chakra, a darkness beyond twilight, was a jutsu that she and Sakura had created together, a technique born from the younger kunoichi's medical expertise.

"Thank you, Sakura," Anko said. "This is exactly what I hoped for since that day in Kabuto's base. This jutsu will allow me to end things once and for all. Still, I do need to ask you for one more favor."

"Anything, Lady Anko."

"To put this to good use," the jonin began to ask, "I need to know one particular medical jutsu. A basic but necessary one. And I don't think there's any other shinobi better suited to teach me than you."

"I'll do my best," Sakura replied. "But, Lady Anko?"

"Yes?"

"Is this really what you want?"

The violet haired shinobi looked away for a moment, letting Sakura's question truly weigh on her mind. "Maybe once, but now... this jutsu will be a last resort. Nothing more."

* * *

><p>In the depths of Yukijigoku, Anko Mitarashi remembered her words from what felt like a life time ago. Her mind weighed down with regret, she prepared herself to use that jutsu at long last. "Ninja Art..."<p>

As Anko landed before Orochimaru, the Sannin caught off guard by the very same shadow clone technique he had bested Anko with years ago, the kunoichi took notice of her former teacher making hand seals with just his right hand. Not interested in giving the shinobi a chance to launch any kind of attack, Anko slashed the fingers of her right hand across Orochimaru's chest. Cloth and flesh tearing open thanks to the faint chakra emanating from the tips of Anko's fingers, the kunoichi using the most basic of medical scalpel techniques that Sakura had trained her in.

Anko knew the Sannin's wound would heal quickly, but she did not care. She only needed the opening in Orochimaru's defense to remain as it was for a few brief seconds. The time at hand, the kunoichi drove her right fist into the wound, plunging her hand into Orochimaru's body up to her wrist. Her fist slipped underneath the Sannin's rip cage, leaving Anko to feel completely disgusted with what she was subjecting both herself and Orochimaru to.

"What the hell are you doing?" Orochimaru gasped, completely caught off guard by Anko's actions.

Anko answered the Sannin's question by finishing the incantation of her hidden technique, repeating it in full. "Ninja Art: Ouroboros Jutsu."

The Hidden Leaf Shinobi opened her hand inside of Orochimaru's chest cavity, releasing the dark mass of chakra that had formed between her fingers. The energy burst outwards, infusing itself with the Sannin's very being.

Then, and only then, did Anko pull her hand out from Orochimaru. She glanced down at the blood that now adorned it, the Sannin's own. Her fingers and wrist twitched for a moment in response to feeling, Anko flinching in disgust. She had never been one to shy away from blood, much to many an aspiring chunin's regret, yet now she could not control herself.

"What have you done?"

Anko's thoughts were interrupted by Orochimaru's sudden exclamation of confusion and fear, something she was not used to hearing from her former master. The Sannin was glaring down at his chest, the wound Anko had inflicted with the chakra scalpel not healing. Instead blood was pouring from it, the torn open flesh spreading outward as if it had a life of its own. That was not what truly concerned the Sannin, however. Pain was beginning to wash over his entire body, threatening to consume him.

"What I had to do," Anko replied, her voice becoming distant. "Something I didn't want to do. But you backed me into a corner. Again."

Anko's eyes moved around for a moment, her head following along. She took in the sight of Yukijigoku once more, her anger building in response.

"I truly hate this place."

"I don't care what you hate," Orochimaru hissed, rage beginning to slip through the cracks of his composure. "Just tell me what that jutsu of yours has done!"

"No matter how strong and skilled I became," Anko began, "I knew your regeneration would prove to be an almost insurmountable obstacle. But Kabuto's research data was quite thorough on how such a power functioned. So I poisoned you."

"Impossible!"

"Yes, under normal circumstances," Anko replied. "Sakura Haruno was kind enough to inform me of how she had attempted a similar assassination technique on Sasuke Uchiha. How she had then learned that you had made that student of yours immune to such things. It was obvious you would take similar precautions for yourself. So I had to adapt. If typical poison wouldn't work on you, then I simply had to get creative."

Anko suddenly pointed her right index finger directly at Orochimaru's chest.

"You wanted to take my body, but now there's a little bit of me inside you. Consider it a parting gift, sensei." Anko took notice of Orochimaru's puzzled expression, unwilling to gaze at the man's face any longer. She glanced away, then continued to speak. "I corrupted a portion of my own chakra, then let it disperse under your skin. The Ouroboros Jutsu has altered your regeneration, reversing it. The pain your suffering? That's your own body eating away at itself on a cellular level. Any wound you take will not heal, but magnify in scope until it proves fatal."

Silence began to fall upon Yukijigoku, both Orochimaru and Anko finding nothing to say. After a tense few moments, however, the Sannin pierced the quiet with a low chuckle, one that burst into full scale laughter. Pain was evident in his tone of voice, but still Orochimaru continued to laugh, his shoulders rising and falling with each one.

The sight and sound of it left Anko on edge. "What the hell's so funny?

Orochimaru began to clutch at a wound that had started out a mere few inches but had now spread from one end of his torso to the other. Then the Sannin stumbled, falling off the tree branch and out of sight.

Anko was unwilling to let her foe leave her line of sight for even a moment, the jonin leaping after him. Her ankle flared up with pain as she touched down on the ravaged floor of Yukijigoku, but she did not care. Anko had found Orochimaru, the Sannin sitting down on the floor, his back resting against a tree. Blood continued to pour out from the deep cut Anko had formed, staining the Sannin's tunic in the process.

"Well done, my student."

The world seemed to stop for Anko Mitarashi in that moment, the words of Orochimaru having been the last ones she ever expected to hear from him, at least in that tone. There was no faint echo of sarcasm or ill intent, not like before. If the jonin didn't know any better, she would swear that Orochimaru had offered her true praise.

Still, Anko knew Orochimaru was a devil at heart, he had to be. Trust could not be so easily obtained. Time was growing short now and she wanted answers to a question that had haunted her ever since her first visit to Hozuki Castle. "What did you tell Kabuto about our fight in the Forest of Death?"

"Oh, he spoke of that, did he?" Orochimaru's eyes widened slightly, pain evident in them thanks to the effects of the Ouroboros Jutsu. "I suppose that he felt it would motivate you more to come to me. What a smart young man our dear Kabuto has become. To be able to understand people's hearts so well... Yes, perhaps he has truly surpassed me."

"What did you say to him?"

"Ah, you truly do want to know," Orochimaru gasped in pain. "So be it. After my fun in the Forest of Death I returned to my base outside of the Hidden Leaf. Kabuto then questioned the wisdom of the decision I had made there."

"About choosing Sasuke Uchiha as your successor?"

"Heaven's no," Orochimaru replied. "He knew better than that. No, our dear Kabuto asked why I let you live. A valid question I suppose."

"I thought it was obvious," Anko began to say. "You wanted me to inform the Third Hokage of your presence. You wanted me to put your true target on edge. Just like now, all you wanted to do was use me as a tool for your dirty work."

"That," Orochimaru hissed, "was not my intent. Whether you lived or died, whether the Hokage was informed or not, it would not have changed the outcome of my operation to destroy the Hidden Leaf. I could have let you end your life alone with the Twin Snakes Sacrifice Jutsu, but..."

Anko took a sharp breath, the jonin understanding exactly what the Sannin was getting at. "You..."

"Yes. I could have stood back and watched you throw your life away against a cheap copy of myself, but I revealed the mud clone's nature before that could happen. Yet another time I was subject to a whim, a flight of fancy."

Anko did not know what to make of Orochimaru's words, the Sannin being far too forthright with his statements. It was so unlike him, yet she still found herself hanging on his every word. However, the jonin could not allow herself to fall prey to such feelings, not yet. "So you spared me for another day, knowing that I could be of use to you at some point, is that it? And then you eventually settled on stealing my body to get close enough to those you wish to kill."

Orochimaru was beginning to sweat now, the pain the Sannin was feeling thanks to Anko's jutsu leaving him unable to stand back up. Yet still he continued to speak, a slight bit of mirth evident in his voice. "Not a bad actor, eh?"

"What?"

"I may have ridiculed both Sasuke and Kabuto for falling prey to the ideals one such as Naruto Uzumaki preaches, but..." Orochimaru's slight laughter faded then, his eyes narrowing. "I suppose spending so much time working on a counter to the Twin Snakes Sacrifice Jutsu was in vain."

Anko's thoughts raced for a moment, remembering the hand signs that her former master had been making when she had lunged at him one final time. "That was..."

"For so many years I thought I knew how everything would play out," Orochimaru continued. "All I simply need do was create a skill that would allow the attacker to survive that forbidden jutsu. I and I alone would die. But you're full of surprises."

_If what he's saying is true, then..._ Anko did not know what to say, the Sannin's words playing with her heart as they were. The jonin took a breath, trying to compose herself. "Then Kabuto, he..."

"He knew the truth, yes," Orochimaru answered. "Why else would a man seeking redemption help one such as I? Now then... I have a question for you."

Anko had never expected such a request from Orochimaru, but with nervous expectation the jonin offered her reply. "Go ahead."

"What did you experience within the Infinite Tsukuyomi?"

Anko was taken aback by that question, but it did little to the jonin's inability to fully trust the Sannin dying before her. "I haven't spoken with anyone about that. Not Team Seven, not even the Sixth Hokage. Why would I start with you?"

"You truly hate me, don't you?" Orochimaru said in a reserved fashion. "I have spoken many lies this evening, but you truly have been breaking my heart. However... I cannot fault you for that."

Once again a moment of silence hung in the air between the two shinobi, Orochimaru finding it necessary for him to shatter it.

"Allow me, then, to share. I thought I knew what would be waiting for me in Madara Uchiha's infinite genjutsu. A fantasy of absolute power and knowledge, all my goals realized. Imagine my surprise then, when instead I was subjected to a world depicting the life I had abandoned."

Anko said nothing, unsure of what she could even expect to say at such a time.

"Lord Sarutobi alive and well... and I, a shinobi delighted to watch as his student became the master of her own team of genin."

Anko could not help herself, bringing a hand up over her mouth to cover a gasp. Her eyes went wide. remembering exactly what she had experienced within the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

"Ah, so then," Orochimaru began to say as he took notice of the jonin's startled reaction, "my hypothesis was correct. The world's populace was bound together by that jutsu and the roots of the Shinju Tree. Some dream worlds were no doubt going to overlap..."

"You're lying," was all Anko could say, the jonin unwilling to accept anything her former master would say. "You have to be."

"But that was all the Infinite Tsukuyomi was, an unobtainable fantasy," Orochimaru continued to say, all the while his body succumbing to the Ouroboros Jutsu. "At least for me. There was nothing I could do to make that dream a reality, not anymore."

The Sannin suddenly laughed once more, a bitter tone projecting from his mouth.

"At last I had obtained a body worthy of me, true immortality at last in my grasp, the opportunity to learn anything and everything finally at hand. But the world is simply a cruel place, revealing the truth I had buried within my decaying heart. I had thrown away everything to obtain nothing of true value."

Anko Mitarashi began to feel herself overwhelmed. She had come here to defeat a monster, one she had had built up in her mind for years. Yet now she found herself standing over nothing more than a pitiful human being, one who had at least realized the sacrifices he had foolishly made.

"Emulating me was a mistake as Kabuto so clearly demonstrated. So instead I found myself emulating Sasuke Uchiha. Or, more accurately, his brother." A momentary chuckle escaped from between Orochimaru's lips. "For so long I wished to become Itachi... in a sense. I suppose some things will never change."

"What are you saying?"

"That man and I were quite similar," Orochimaru began to say, "but I expect that Itachi would have been disgusted by such a claim. However, he and I both believed in strength through adversity, that much is clear. He allowed himself to be the villain, to be the obstacle his brother would have to prevail over. Despite his power and intellect, Itachi did make one mistake. He underestimated the depths of hatred that Sasuke could descend to. I, however, knew that was not something I would have to worry about with you, you who refused power born from sacrifice."

Anko was left speechless by her former master's words, unable to fully process the changed Orochimaru. Slowly but surely the jonin managed to force herself to speak. "You... you don't have to..." Anko's thoughts began to move at a fast pace, the jonin trying to come up with something, anything, to change the outcome that Orochimaru had set in motion. "I can't take the Ouroboros Jutsu back, but the Celestial Prison could save you. If I stopped your body's ability to regenerate, then..."

"You said the Ouroboros Jutsu was your parting gift to me," Orochimaru interrupted, his voice reduced to nothing more than a whisper. "Allow me, then, to give you one as well."

The dying Sannin began to work through a series of hand signs. His movements slowed down by his reversed regeneration, it took the man longer than he had wished. Still he pressed on, unwilling to die before his goal was complete.

Anko watched on, almost cursing herself for being on edge at the sight of the rogue shinobi's actions. No matter what he said or how he said it, the jonin's heart would not allow her to completely accept it.

"Summoning Jutsu," Orochimaru gasped, blood escaping from his mouth, "Reanimation."

Anko Mitarashi felt the flooring around her shake slightly. The jonin turned to look over her shoulder and watched as twin coffins tore appeared as if from the ground. Anko felt her heart skip a beat as she took notice of the text that had been inscribed on the front of them both.

"Kinako Mitarashi... Shoyu Mitarashi..."

"Ours will not be the only fateful reunion this day," Orochimaru said with a sly grin.

"Mom, Dad..." Anko could no longer hold herself in check. Her lower lip trembled, her eyes watering as she stared at the wooden caskets before her. Her bloodied right hand slowly reached toward them both, stopping at the last second. She suddenly turned towards Orochimaru, her voice raising in protest. "Just like the Curse Mark... Who do I have to thank for this gift? Who the hell did you sacrifice?"

"Do not fret yourself over it," Orochimaru replied. "As I told you, I have spoken many lies, but I do indeed possess the remains of the Zetsu army. Even in death, the power of those artificial creatures makes them fine subjects for this jutsu."

Her anger quickly dissipated, Anko once more becoming overwhelmed with sorrow. "Then..."

"Speak with them," Orochimaru said. "Reach the closure you have been denied for so long. They will then ascend back to the pure world, but you all will have obtained a measure of peace."

A slight laugh suddenly came over Orochimaru.

"I wonder, would the Second Hokage be proud that his forbidden jutsu is at last being put to good use?" The Sannin pushed past his amusement, reaching out with his right hand. His fingers twitched for a moment, as if guiding an unseen force. "Still, my dear Anko, you have one last task to attend to before you speak with your parents."

Anko watched as the true Kusanagi Blade floated down from above, the katana slowly moving towards her. It stopped only when its handle made contact with the palm of the jonin's hand.

"Grant me an infinitely preferable end," Orochimaru whispered. "A fast death, my wayward protege."

Anko heard the command, but she found herself unable to carry it out. Orochimaru shifted his fingers once more, guiding the Kusanagi Blade so that its handle pressed harder into the jonin's palm.

"It didn't have to be this way..."

Focusing her resolve, Anko gripped the Kusanagi Sword tightly. She leapt forward at Orochimaru, knowing what he wanted, what he had asked for. A moment later the sword pierced the Sannin's heart, drawing blood. The Ouroboros Jutsu came into true effect then, the wound magnifying in scope, healing an impossibility.

Anko held the katana with both hands, staring into Orochimaru's eyes with her own as she did so. She could see the light fading the serpent-like orbs, but all the while the smile never left Orochimaru's face. Then Anko gasped, feeling the Sannin's right hand gently touch the side of her face. Her eyes began to shake in response, her breath slow and steady.

"You just slayed Orochimaru himself. So tell me, how does it feel?"

Anko heard the words the shinobi spoke, her mind recalling the distant past.

_"Well, uh... awesome I guess?"_

The kunoichi remembered those words, knowing she had been such a young fool. Now she could say nothing, unable to give voice to the mixed emotions that dwelled within her heart and soul.

"Oh," Orochimaru wheezed, his weakening gaze settling on the necklace Anko wore. "From Lord Sarutobi to me, from me to you... Yes, this... this is true... immortality..."

Orochimaru's eyes slowly closed then, his head falling forward slightly. His forehead made contact with Anko's own, the kunoichi having been so very close. She shivered in response, unable to fully accept what she had just witnessed.

_Orochimaru is... is..._

Anko restrained herself as best she could. She pulled the Kusanagi Blade free from the Sannin's body, standing tall once more. She turned away, slicing the sword through the empty air, whipping the shinobi's blood off of it.

"Farewell, Lord Orochimaru."

* * *

><p>"Lord Hokage, do you think she's all right?"<p>

Kakashi Hatake could only sigh in response to Sakura Haruno's question. The man knew he simply would never get used to such formal speech when others were around him. _Well, she and Naruto never could stop calling me sensei, even when we were equals..._

"She's been down there way too long," Naruto said, backing up his teammate's concern. "I know some fights can go on way, way too long, but-"

Kakashi hated what he was about to say, but as the Sixth Hokage he had concerns that transcended one ninja's pride. "She has five more minutes. Then we move in."

Team Seven and their former squad leader stood waiting, their eyes trained on the entrance to Yukijigoku. A minute passed, then two, then three and finally four. The trio of ninja began to brace themselves for the battle ahead, only to restrain themselves when they at last heard footsteps echoing across the inside of the stone cavern.

Soon, at long last, Anko Mitarashi appeared. She was badly wounded, walking with a limp and dried blood staining both her face and one of the shoulders of her coat. Strapped to her back was a katana, the Kusanagi Blade. In her arms she carried Orochimaru, the Sannin's body unmoving.

"So," Kakashi Hatake said quietly, "he's dead."

Anko made it out of the entrance, her body finally collapsing. She fell to her knees and placed Orochimaru's corpse in the snow before her. The jonin stared down at his remains with still eyes, her face unwilling to betray any of her feelings.

"Lady Anko!" Sakura ran over to the wounded shinobi, placing both her hands on the woman's shoulder. The medical ninja's fingers came alive with green chakra, the energy beginning to mend and repair the damage that had been done. "Is everything..."

"It's over," Anko said, her voice low. "It's really over."

Sakura shifted her gaze from Anko's unmoving face to Orochimaru's remains, then back again. "You had to use the technique we devised, didn't you? Lady Anko, I'm so sorr-"

"Don't be, please," the jonin interrupted. "It was for the best."

As Sakura moved her hands up towards Anko's face, intent on repairing the cut now that the woman's shoulder was repaired, Naruto Uzumaki stepped in front the side and placed the jonin's cloak around Anko's shoulders. The young man then knelt down beside her, staring at Orochimaru's body. All the while Sakura moved on to healing Anko's leg.

"Maybe I've been wrong about it all," Naruto said, his voice becoming withdrawn.

"No," Anko replied, the jonin looking up into the sky and staring at the rising sun. "Orochimaru and I... we're better off because of people like you."

Anko could feel the pain in her left leg quickly fading, Sakura's medical work at last finished. The jonin looked at the pink haired kunoichi and gave her a smile. "Thank you."

"Think nothing of it," Sakura replied, returning the grin.

Anko stood up once more, lifting Orochimaru's deceased form in the process. She took a slow, deep breath, then began to walk. "Let's go home."

The others began to follow behind her, the Sixth Hokage speaking once more. "Lady Anko, one of us can carry Orochimaru. You needn't do it yourself."

"It's appreciated," Anko Mitarashi replied, "but this is my burden to bear."


	11. True Immortality

**Disclaimer:** As you can probably imagine I do not own the Naruto series or any of its characters. That pleasure belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Oh sure, I've purchased some manga volumes, a few DVDs and at least one video game spawned from the franchise, but the series itself? Oh no, certainly not mine. You'd know if it were me in charge. There'd be tons more screen time for the likes of Haku, Zabuza and Anko. Oh, and every filler arc and movie would involve Guren.

* * *

><p>The sun was setting on the Hidden Leaf Village, a long day at last coming to an end. The majority of the village itself was quiet, the citizens who called it their home preparing to turn in for the evening. However, for the community of shinobi who lived their lives in service to the Hidden Leaf, it was merely just the beginning.<p>

The shinobi were all assembled at the arena, the finals of the Chunin Exams having come to an close. Row after row of ninja adorned the balconies, all of them looking down at those who had proven their skills time and time again, whether it was in the classroom or the Forest of Death.

One such shinobi in the crowd of onlookers was Anko Mitarashi. Clad in a red uniform, a white cape hanging from her shoulders and neck, the jonin was watching and waiting with nervous anticipation. Her gaze was focused exclusively on those who stood below in the arena itself. The young genin were tired and exhausted, having given there all in the battles that had taken place.

Three such genin were Anko's greatest concern, however. They were Shikadai Nara, Inojin Yamanaka and Chocho Akimichi. The trio was the next generation of three of the Hidden Leaf's most respected clans, as well as the latest in a long line of Ino-Shika-Cho teams, continuing a tradition that had been passed down for years. To the Hidden Leaf Village they were a sign of the future, but to Anko Mitarashi it was another matter altogether. The trio of aspiring shinobi were Team Eleven, the cell that had been placed under Anko's care and tutelage.

"Team Eleven," a voice suddenly boomed across the arena. "Step forward."

Anko watched as her students did just that, moving away from their fellow shinobi. It was at last their time to learn if they had succeeded in moving up the ranks of the Hidden Leaf. Anko, meanwhile, simply turned her gaze upwards towards the main balcony, her eyes settling on the group of shinobi who stood there.

The Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, was at the forefront, dressed in the ceremonial robe befitting such an event. Beside him was his wife, Hinata of the venerable Hyuga clan, and encircling them both was the Hokage's council, containing the likes of Sakura Haruno and Shikamara Nara.

Seeing the a Hokage surrounded by those who were considered not his advisers but his equals was not something Anko was used to, but she knew better than to expect anything less from Naruto Uzumaki. The man's greatest strength was not his individual power, but his ability to form bonds.

Still, it was also taking Anko time to grow accustomed to the wave of change that was sweeping over not only the HIdden Leaf Village, but the world itself. The times were moving on and now the jonin was sitting back and watching as the next generation of shinobi were assuming their destined fates.

_"'They call it the Forest of Death and soon enough you're going to find out why!' Do your worst! You're not going to scare me away! I can handle anything!"_

The boost from times long since passed played across Anko's memory, the jonin unable to suppress a slight grin. _The tough guy wasn't all talk after all._

"Shikadai Nara, Inojin Yamanaka, Chocho Akimichi," the Seventh Hokage began to say, "you do your clans proud."

Anko could not help it. A slight chuckle escaped from her, the jonin bringing a hand up over her mouth to best stifle herself. Anko took notice a few shinobi staring at her with minor contempt, no doubt feeling she was disrespecting the Hokage, but she was not worried. To the average shinobi, Naruto was simply acting as a Hokage should, but to someone who had conversed with the hyperactive ninja in the past, hearing him speak so sternly was a little hard to completely take seriously.

"Sorry, sorry," Anko whispered as she waved a hand towards the irritated ninja. "My bad."

The jonin could see that her fellow ninja were not impressed with her actions still. Realizing that, Anko straightened her body up, forcing a stone cold expression across her face.

"My sincerest apologies for my moment of mirth. I shall show our beloved Hokage the proper respect." The shinobi finally averted their gaze away from Anko, allowing the kunoichi to sigh in relief. _Everybody is so high strung._

All the while, Naruto's voice continued to echo across the arena. Anko turned her own attentions back to what he had to say, the jonin unwilling to miss it for the world.

"You three have displayed exemplary teamwork," the Hokage continued, "not unheard of among your families, but you have surpassed even those who came before you. That is why I wish to inform you that it is this council's decision that you have earned the rank of chunin."

Anko could see slight smiles creeping across the faces of both Shikadai and Inojin, the jonin knowing it was the best she could hope from the two boys. Neither was much for expressing themselves too greatly. However, Chocho was much more likely to wear her emotions on her sleeves. It was no surprise, then, that she was clearly overjoyed by the news. The young girl's face came alive with a beaming smile, her eyes lighting up.

Then, quite suddenly, Chocho looked into the stands, as if looking for her teacher. She caught sight of Anko only seconds later, their eyes locking up. Anko returned her student's smile with one of her own, tilting her head and shutting her eyes for a moment as she did so.

_You've all earned this...We.. we all have._ Anko Mitarashi knew that this was all she wanted, to help build up the future. _That I can do for them what he did for me..._

Anko's eyes closed slightly then, her thoughts becoming dark in nature. The whole situation she was experiencing was new to her, yet still she was being overwhelmed by a case of deja vu. There was just one thing, one person, missing to complete that sensation.

"Anko."

The purple haired jonin felt her breath get caught her in throat, forcing her to exhale slowly. "Lord Oro-"

Anko turned then, finding herself face to face with the masked Kakashi Hatake.

"Lord Hatake," the jonin said, mentally berating herself for what she had nearly said.

"Even as the Hokage I did not wish to be referred to as such," the man said with a sigh. "Oh well... I just wished to congratulate you, Anko."

"This isn't my day in the sun," the jonin replied. "It's Ino-Shika-Cho's."

"Perhaps," Kakashi began to say, "but their success is yours too. You trained them well."

"Oh," Anko said with a smirk, "Then I suppose that makes you the best team leader of all time, considering how Team Seven's up there in the Hokage's balcony."

Kakashi's eyes widened slightly, a bit of a blush appearing over the top of his mask. "Well, that is..." The silver haired man coughed a bit, trying to clear his throat. "You should be very proud of your students."

"Oh, I am," Anko said as she looked back down at them. "I just wish..."

The jonin's shoulders sunk slightly. She knew she should have been overjoyed and nothing more, but in the back of her mind one thing continued to repeat over and over.

_"But that was all the Infinite Tsukuyomi was, an unobtainable fantasy."_

* * *

><p>"You know they're just going to make us work harder now. What a drag..."<p>

Chocho Akimichi could hear the defeatist attitude her teammate was known for, but the kunoichi had no intent of letting it get to her. "Oh come on, Shikadai!" she exclaimed as she pointed right at him. "I see the corner of your lips curled up. Don't act like you're not happy about this!"

Chocho turned away from her teammates then, catching sight of Anko once more. It left the young shinobi speechless. Whereas just moments before the older woman had been smiling from ear to ear, now she had a melancholy look on her face.

"Anko-sensei?"

* * *

><p>Time passed, night having completely overtaken the Hidden Leaf Village. Anko Mitarashi knew she should have turned in for some much needed rest, or at least spoke with her team and their parents, but she had been unable to do any of it.<p>

Instead the jonin had made her way to the outskirts of the village. It had not taken her long to find what she was after and now Anko stood before a small monument carved from white marble. To anyone else it would be simple decoration, but to the jonin in question it was an unmarked grave.

"Lord Orochimaru..."

It had been years, but Anko remembered it so very well. Tradition decreed that any and all rogue shinobi were to have their bodies desecrated and destroyed so that no enemy forces could use whatever genetic information they could find to their advantage. It was obvious what had to be done with Orochimaru's stolen body. The power of the White Snake, the cellular data of the First Hokage, it was all too dangerous to leave alone. The lifeless Zetsu bodies that Orochimaru had stockpiled had all been destroyed and only his own had remained.

However, Anko had resisted, both Naruto and Sakura willing to back her up. In the end a compromise had been made, the Sannin buried with few possessing the knowledge of it. Only Anko, Team Seven, Kakashi Hatake and Tsunade were privy to it all.

"It's been a big day," Anko whispered, her breath slow and steady as she did so. The jonin knew better than to expect a response, the reality of her situation at the forefront of her mind, but she could not stop herself from continuing. "My little team of upstarts just got promoted. The exams really put them through hell, but... you know, strength through adversity and all that. You should have seen the look on their faces when the Hokage promoted them. You should have been there..."

Water began to form around the jonin's eyes, her teeth coming together. Sorrow and rage began to chip away at her thoughts, leaving her mind on the brink. Her eyes began to widen as she began to scream.

"You should have been there!"

Anko collapsed to her knees, tears beginning to stain her face as she continued to stare at Orochimaru's headstone. The jonin's lower lip trembled as she fought to reign her emotions back in.

"Now look what you've gone and made me do," she said, her voice uneven. "The leader of Team Eleven can't be acting like this. I have to be strong. That's what you wanted in the end, right?"

"Anko-sensei?"

Anko heard the sound of her name and slowly the jonin looked over her shoulder, Chocho Akimichi coming into sight. The newly promoted chunin was simply standing underneath the moonlight, concern evident in her eyes.

"Chocho, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be celebrating with your family?"

"Not everyone's there," the young kunoichi answered. "Why aren't you there?"

Anko did not know what to say. She looked away for a moment, trying to collect herself. "I'm sorry, Chocho, it's just..."

"Does this monument mean something to you? Is that why you're crying?"

_Damn it._ Anko did not like for one moment that one of her own had caught her in such a moment of weakness. "No," she said, trying to sound strong and confident. "It..."

Anko's head lowered even as she stood up.

"Yes, it does mean something to me," Anko finally said as she looked at Chocho. "Someone is buried here, buried away with all the bad and the good."

"Huh?" Chocho said, confused by her teacher's statement.

"Don't worry about it." Anko began to walk towards Chocho, reaching into a pouch on her belt as she did so. "Now then, in honor of your graduating to the rank of a chunin, I have a gift for you."

Chocho watched as her teacher brought her right hand out from beneath her cloak, a necklace of sorts in her hand. "Anko-sensei?"

"I know it doesn't look like much," Anko said as she lowered the necklace over Chocho's head and around her neck, "but this was a gift my sensei gave me upon my first successful mission. Now I, in turn, entrust it to you."

"I... thank you, Anko-sensei." Chocho's face lit up in response to Anko's words, Anko returning the grin in response depsite her own tears. Then, however, Chocho spoke once more. "But... all this training, all this effort? What's the point?"

Anko's newly formed smile faded then, unsure of what her student was getting at.

"I mean... the world's at peace," Chocho said. "All the villages get along, no one's causing any trouble. It's all so boring, you know?"

"An unmoving windmill isn't fun to watch, huh?"

"Umm, what?"

Anko knelt down in front of Chocho, placing a hand on each of her shoulders. "I know what you're saying, but you're wrong. The wind doesn't stop blowing just because things are peaceful. It just changes direction, that's all."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

Anko stood then, speaking once more. "Now come on, let's go get some dango, maybe some anmitsu, and join up with your family!"

"All right!" Chocho then took off, running back towards the village. She turned then, realizing that her teacher had not moved yet. "Anko-sensei?"

Anko turned her gaze back towards the marble headstone once more, her thoughts becoming lost for a brief moment. _I wish you could have understood that, but..._

Anko suddenly took notice of movement around the base of the monument. The grass was parting, as if giving way for something. The jonin walked over slowly, watching as whatever small creature made its leave. Anko crouched down then, looking at the bottom of the monument.

What she found was the discarded skin of a white snake, the creature having no doubt used the hard marble to help shed its skin. Anko felt her lips tremble again for a moment before they at last curled back into a smile.


End file.
